The Princess And The Playboy
by kymbersmith90
Summary: 'Sure, she was hot, but I imagined her to be a pompous, stuck-up know-it-all who would more than likely be incredibly boring in bed, so as far as I'm concerned, she isn't worth my attention' Playboy Edward is in for the shock of his life when The Princess Isabella of Scotland is assigned to his flat at university. Based on the love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
1. Prologue

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha & SparrowNotes24 my beautiful Betas and Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my equally gorgeous pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies. **

**This is just a little something that I have been working on in between A Gift From The Gods chapters. I wanted to post the Prologue before I leave to go back home for a few weeks as a thank you for your patience with the next chapter. It's not my main priority but I do have 7 chapters already written so for now, I'm aiming for an every other Friday posting schedule.**

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**A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT **

**Monday 3****rd**** September 2012**

**Article written by Royal Correspondent William Miller**

The country was celebrating last night as Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming the engagement of Her Royal Highness, The Princess Isabella of Scotland to her long term boyfriend Dr. Edward Anthony Cullen, only moments before the couple sat down for an exclusive interview with the BBC.

The couple have been dating since Princess Isabella's second year at the prestigious St Andrews University in Fife. The young Princess, who is currently first in line to the throne, was studying for a degree in Management Science when she met Edward Cullen.

Dr Cullen, who will become the first person to marry into the royal family without aristocratic or royal heritage, had already spent a year at St. Andrews studying medicine before he met Isabella. It was widely thought that before the young royal caught his attention, Edward Cullen had been a renowned playboy at the University. Many of his fellow female students had sold stories to the tabloids about their time with him when he was first pictured with Isabella. He has since changed his ways after falling for the next Queen of The United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms, even managing to win over the approval of Isabella's father.

After a long courtship, the couple revealed in an exclusive interview to the BBC, that Edward had followed tradition in pulling aside King Charles III, Isabella's father, to ask for his blessing to marry the young Princess on one of their annual hunting trips at the beginning of the season. Edward said that "Charles was more than happy to give me his blessings" and that on multiple occasions he had pulled Edward aside to ask why he hadn't "put a ring on it?" yet.

Isabella went on to detail how she and Edward had been on holiday in Canada last month when he finally worked up the courage to pop the question. In their exclusive interview, the young Princess couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she detailed the effort her Fiancé had put into making the evening special, before asking if she would make him the "happiest man on Earth by agreeing to marry him."

Edward and Princess Isabella's relationship has gathered a huge fan base all around the world since it was officially confirmed in 2008. The couple are often seen as more down-to-earth than the royal family have traditionally come across. More people feel like they can identify to the pair as Edward has come from a traditional middle class background. His father is a surgeon for a small hospital in Norfolk and his mother is a stay-at-home housewife.

While none of the Cullen family have royal heritage, King Charles himself has often spoken of how he considers the family to be an extension of his own, even going so far as to give Edward his late-wife's engagement ring to offer to his daughter.

No official date has as yet been set for the wedding but it is rumoured to be taking place at the end of March, on what would have been the late Queen Consort's birthday. Isabella broke down during the interview when she spoke about how she wants to make her mother a part of her big day, even if she cannot be there for the wedding. July will mark the ten year anniversary of Queen Renee's passing due to ovarian cancer.

The exclusive interview will be broadcast this evening on BBC1 at 8pm.

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**A/N. Thanks for giving this new fic a chance. It is something entirely new for me to write and I hope you have as much fun reading it as I have had writing it. **


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**As a little aside, I just wanted to point out that I am aware that the title Prince/Princess of Scotland is not commonly used and Prince/Princess of Wales is the preferred title for the heir to the throne. As this is a work of fiction and the couple's romance began in the country, I thought it was fitting and I didn't want to confuse people with the current Prince of Wales being a Charles and Isabella's father also a Charles. I apologise for not pointing this out sooner and for any confusion that may have occurred. **

**Thank you to TheFreckledPanda for pointing that out to me and I have made the other changes you suggested. Sorry I couldn't reply to your review in person but I did want to let you know I was grateful for your advice.**

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When Edward Cullen arrived back in St. Andrews for his second year of university, he was surprised at the hysteria around the school. Of course, he wasn't naïve. He knew that the Princess Isabella was due to start her first year here, but he was hoping to be able to avoid it all. Sure, she was hot, but he imagined her to be a pompous, stuck-up know-it-all who would more than likely be incredibly boring in bed, so as far as he was concerned, she wasn't worth his attention.

Instead of gossiping with the rest of the student body, who seemed to be eagerly awaiting her arrival, he headed over to the bistro located at his new apartment complex to pick up his room key. This year he had upgraded to the nicer David Russell Apartments and he was looking forward to have a double bed instead of the shitty single he had been given last year.

He was the first person to arrive at the flat, which he was glad about. It gave him time to look over all of the amenities his new home would hold, and unpack his belongings in silence. These were definitely nicer than the last halls of residence he had stayed in. Everything was clean and fresh with dark colours and neutral wall tones. He only hoped that his new flatmates would help keep the place looking as it was now. Although he would never admit it, Edward Cullen was a neat freak.

After he had unpacked his things, Edward fired off a quick message to all of his friends, telling them that he had arrived on campus. He wandered back to the bistro to get himself something for lunch. The lines were much longer this time, so Edward took that to mean the Princess had arrived and the crowds had scattered. It took him twenty minutes to order a ham and cheese toastie and have it made up ready for him. By the time he was on his way back to the apartment, the campus had become more active and he had already been stopped by three of his previous conquests "just to say hi."

When he finally made it back to the flat he was a little surprised to find that it was no longer empty. Instead, there was a tight little ass bent over in front of him, its owner digging around in the fridge for something. He stopped by the entrance to the kitchenette, crossing his right ankle over his left leg and leaned into the door frame, admiring the view.

The ass continued to wiggle in front of him for a few seconds, before the body it belonged to finally straightened up, a small "aha," escaping her lips as she had found what she was looking for. The woman spun around and was shocked to find Edward behind her, watching closely. She let out a little speak of surprise, her hand rising to cover her heart.

Edward's own heart sank at the sight in front of him. Before she had turned around, he had fantasied about how that ass would look, naked in front of him, his hands wrapped tightly around those curvaceous hips as his pumped his cock, hard and deep. Now that he had seen the face attached to that luscious ass he knew there was no way that fantasy would ever be happening. Not with Princess Prim-and-Proper standing before him.

"Um, hi. I didn't realise anyone else was here," Isabella placed on her very best fake smile to face the guy who had just been staring at her backside. "I'm Isabella, you are...?"

She held out her hand as she trailed off, waiting for Edward to offer his name. He shook himself a little before taking her hand and then he panicked again. His parents had joked that he should know how to properly greet the Princess, in case they ever met and now he was wishing he had Googled it. He bent his head a little, considering kissing the back of her hand, before he realised how intimate that gesture was and instead gave her hand a firm shake before quickly pulling away.

"It's nice to meet you, Your Royal Highness, I'm Edward." He dipped his head, trying to hide his awkwardness before realising what her presence in his kitchenette meant. "Are you going to be staying here?" He was absolutely horrified at the idea of sharing his living space with her.

"Yes, Edward, I'm in room 761. And it's Isabella, just Isabella. No titles and no formalities."

Damn, Princess Prim-and-Proper would be in the room next to his. Edward hoped to hell that the walls would be thick between the two of them because he didn't want the future Queen of The United Kingdom hearing his regular night-time activities.

The tension in the apartment was alleviated by the arrival of Garrett, Edward's best friend. He dropped his bags just inside of the front door and then moved towards Edward, ready to offer him the traditional man-hug they had always shared.

"Hey man, how cool is this? We get to be roomies." Garrett had yet to notice Isabella stood in the kitchen, he was more interested in catching up with Edward. "So, did you do anything or any_one _interesting over the summer?" Garrett gave Edward a cheeky wink before the sound of a throat clearing drew his attention.

Edward rolled his eyes. Of course Princess Prim-and-Proper would be offended by the suggestion that he had had sex over the summer. He couldn't imagine that her daddy would let any guy anywhere near close enough to fuck her.

When Garrett's head snapped round to face the source of the interruption, Edward laughed at the double take he did of Isabella's face. As soon as he realised whose presence he had spoken in, Garrett's face began to flame and he tried stuttering out an apology.

"I…Um…Shit…Sorry…Your Majesty, I didn't see you there. I hope I didn't offend you." He was rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment and Edward found himself feeling slightly bad for the poor guy. He probably should have warned him as soon as he walked through the door.

Isabella could see how badly Garrett was struggling and offered him a gentle smile. "It's fine, I wasn't offended. And it's Isabella. 'Your Majesty' is my father." She offered Garrett the same hand to shake that she had Edward and he took it awkwardly, bowing over it slightly before giving it a weak shake and pulling his hand away. He had no idea how he should greet a member of the royal family, and Edward was oddly pleased that he wasn't the only one to not have Googled that shit.

"Um, I'm going to go and unpack," Garrett mumbled to the floor, before he fled in the direction of the room directly opposite Edward's.

"Fucking idiot," Edward murmured to himself.

"You weren't exactly much better," Isabella threw back at him, winking, before she closed the door to her own room.

Edward stood in stunned surprise for a few minutes before he made it to his room and closed the door behind him. Maybe Princess Prim-and-Proper wasn't as much of a cold fish as he originally thought she would be.

-x-

The first week of term passed by in a blur for Edward. He was a second year medical student and he knew that if he had any hope of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a surgeon, he needed to knuckle down and keep his partying to the weekends.

He barely saw Princess Prim-and-Proper while he was home. She was either busy with her own classes or talking to their two other roommates, Angela Webber and Kate Jones. Angela and Kate were both first years studying Management Science too, so the three girls shared lectures and a few tutorials. So far, nobody seemed to know where Isabella was staying. Edward told himself that he preferred things this way, his studies wouldn't be interrupted if any of the Paparazzi found their way on campus and there wouldn't be fellow students sucking up to him to try and get an in with the future Queen of The United Kingdom. Yes, it was definitely better this way.

The following Sunday morning, Edward woke with a pounding headache and a dry throat. He and Garrett had been out Saturday night to one of the clubs in town that threw a 'Welcome Back' night for the university students. His memories of the evening were a bit of a blur but he distinctly remembered drinking his body weight in shots and getting a blowjob in the bathroom from a hot blonde freshman, although her name was part of the blur. With a groan he pulled himself out of bed, popped some paracetamol for his head and made his way into the kitchen in need of something greasy.

It was still early and Edward wasn't expecting anyone else to be awake, so he was shocked to find Isabella at the gas hob, making pancakes for herself. She was still in her pyjamas, and dancing along to the radio that she had left on low to keep her company. While Edward may not have been expecting to find Isabella in the kitchen, she was expecting him. He hadn't been as stealthy as he thought he had, leaving his room. She smiled to herself as he stood, watching her, checking her out while he thought she was unaware.

When the first pancake was finished, Isabella slipped it onto a plate, along with some fresh fruit and slid it to the end of the counter. "Are you going to stand there drooling all morning or would you like something to eat?" She turned to face Edward, eyebrow raised in mock admonishment, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. It fell suddenly as her mouth dropped open in surprise. Since Edward assumed he'd be alone, he hadn't bothered throwing on a shirt when he left his room. Instead all he wore was a pair of lose fitting pyjama pants. This time Edward was the one fighting back a smirk. Princess Prim-and-Proper appeared to be checking _him_ out. Or more specifically, his tattoo.

"See something you like, Your Highness?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Isabella quickly schooled her features. In her short time at St. Andrews she had already found out enough about Edward Cullen to know that her roommate was a notorious playboy. And she would not become another notch on his incredibly high bedpost.

"Eat your damned pancake, idiot."

Isabella turned to the hob, to make herself some breakfast. Her eyes never once strayed back to the half-naked Edward while she worked. Sensing he had crossed a line, Edward finished his breakfast quickly, rinsed the plate off and left it to drain before making his way back to his room. Just before he opened the door, he turned to the kitchen and called out, "Thanks for breakfast," and then shut himself away for the remainder of the day. He needed some more sleep before he would head to the library to study.

-x-

Edward and Garrett were on their way to the library Thursday afternoon when they were stopped by Tanya and her group of girls. Edward had made the mistake of sleeping with Tanya before the Christmas holidays during his first year and she had been looking for a repeat performance ever since.

She slid up close to Edward, effectively placing herself between him and Garrett where she proceeded to bat her clumpy and overly made-up lashes at him. "Eddiekins, it's been so long since I last saw you, where have you been hiding?"

Edward cleared his throat, uncomfortable not only with the ridiculous nickname she insisted on using for him but also with the way her hand was creeping up his arm. He picked it up gently, holding it in between his own for a few seconds, before he eased it back to her side.

"I'm sorry Tanya, Garrett and I were just on our way to the library. Maybe we can catch up later." Edward nodded to Garrett and tried to move past the group of girls, but they had him blocked in.

"The library will be open until midnight, you have plenty of time." She waved his protests away and began leading him over to a group of benches located close by. "So, I was thinking," Tanya paused for what she thought was dramatic effect, picking up a lock of her bleached blonde hair and twirling it around her index finger. "Maybe you and I could go to the Halloween party together this year?" Edward cringed and was just about to try and talk himself out of Tanya's clutches when a sweet voice interrupted the group.

"Edward? I am so sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you could show me where the student bookstore was? I'm so lost." Isabella was stood behind the group of girls, all alone and looking so very innocent.

_Damn, she was good._

Tanya's eyes snapped up, to see who had dared interrupt her second chance with Edward, and then widened until her face resembled a goldfish. She had heard that the Princess was here, but she hadn't truly believed it. After all, Tanya was not the kind of girl who read newspapers on a regular basis.

"You two know each other?" Her eyes flicked between the Princess and Edward with an accusing glare. As far as she was aware, Edward didn't have female friends, he was far too busy fucking them to learn anything meaningful about their lives.

"Edward is my roommate." An indulgent smile formed on Isabella's lips, she rolled her eyes as the ditzy blonde turned to Edward. Edward and Garrett caught her look and shared a smile. So far, Prim-and-Proper was turning out to be nothing like either of them had expected.

"Where are you staying?" Edward could already see the glee forming behind Tanya's eyes. So far, none of the other students seemed to know where Isabella was living for term. Her roommates had never mentioned the building they were located in or the fact that Isabella was sharing with them and Edward wasn't about to be the one to change that. He liked his quiet apartment, he didn't want it staked out by desperate girls wanting Isabella to be their friend or desperate guys who wanted to sleep with her. So, instead of giving an answer, Edward decided to change the subject.

"What kind of books did you need, Isabella?" He stood up from the bench the girls had forced him onto and moved to the Princess' side.

"I forgot one of the text books that I needed for my Organisations and Society module." As Isabella spoke, she began walking slowly, gradually moving Edward and Garrett away from Tanya and her friends who were sat staring after them. When they were far enough away that Tanya could no longer see them, Isabella offered Edward a small smile before turning to leave.

"Hey, wait, where are you going?" He thought that they would spend the afternoon together, just to keep up appearances and all that.

"Home. I don't really need any textbooks, I thought you knew that?" Isabella was puzzled. She was sure Edward knew all she was doing was trying to help him get away from the blonde bimbo.

"I know, but what if they come back? Shouldn't you hang around for a while, just in case?" Edward knew he was clutching at straws, hell, even Garrett knew. But he looked so adorably awkward that Isabella couldn't find the heart to turn him down.

"One hour, in the library, but then I have to go home. I promised my father I would call him before he left for a benefit this evening."

Edward nodded happily and steered the three of them in the direction of the campus library. He spent his hour in the library studying Isabella, instead of working on the medical ethics paper he had due Monday. She was quite the enigma.

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**I do not have the words to tell you how much your response to the prologue blew me away, so I updated early instead. Thank you all so much for your reviews, favourite and alerts. **

**I have one question for you. The BBC interview I mentioned in the prologue, would you like to see it? Bits and pieces have come to mind the last few days and I have started getting them down, but I will scrap the idea if nobody is interested. **

**Thanks for reading. **


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

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September flew by in a haze of papers, deadlines, lectures and seminars for both Edward and Isabella. They had only seen each other in passing as they were leaving or arriving home every few days and neither had said more than the necessary hello or goodbye. On weekends, Edward was out partying with Garrett, their friend Alastair and any random blonde or red-head that took his fancy. For some reason, he found himself unable to get it up for the brunettes the way he used to, but that didn't put him off of his game. Every few weeks, Isabella would drown out the sound of his headboard banging against the wall or some other girl yelling her way through orgasm after orgasm, with her iPod. The next morning she would watch as another different girl snuck out of Edward's room and their flat as she made breakfast for herself. She never said anything to Edward about his female friends or the noises she heard through her bedroom walls and he was convinced she knew nothing was going on.

October arrived with autumn clinging to its coattails and Isabella found herself wrapping up warmer, the weather much cooler in Scotland than it was in London at this time of the year. She spent her free periods in the bistro, studying with a cup of coffee or at Cockshaugh Park, sketching the trees as their leaves slowly began turning from their crisp and fresh green to a burn orange and then finally falling to the earth below.

Isabella had often found comfort in sketching the changes in her environment as the seasons changed. Her mother had done the same before cancer took her. She had told Isabella that death was a part of nature's cycle and that God would have a plan for her. It was moments like these when Isabella felt closer to her mother than ever before. She could feel her presence in every leaf that fell to Earth, ready to be recycled back to nature to give life to new organisms.

The bench Isabella sat on sank a little lower, indicating someone else had joined her. She didn't look up from her sketch and the person next to her didn't immediately speak so Isabella continued with her drawing, adding shading to give the picture some perspective.

When the person next to her did speak, the voice shocked her. "I didn't know you could draw."

Isabella smiled slightly but didn't turn away from her page. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Edward Cullen."

"Touché." Edward took a small pull from his coffee and then leaned further back into the bench. "How often do you come here?"

"Whenever I have a few free hours. I like to sketch the change in nature as the seasons change. It reminds me of my mother." A heavy silence hung between the two of them.

Edward remembered the day her mother died. Queen Renee had been adored by the nation for her open and gentle personality. She had raised her children in the most normal way possible and she had been loved for it. The morning of her death he had been headed to the coast for a small holiday with his parents and a friend. When they had started the car, the local radio station had automatically turned on, telling them that the Queen had passed in her sleep and her family were grieving. Both his mother and father had shed a tear for a women they didn't know.

He also remembered being given the day off of school for her funeral, even though it was GCSE season. Although it was unofficial, the country had taken a holiday, wanting to grieve for their lost Queen with her family. Edward remembered his mother making him sit and watch the funeral but he couldn't recall any of the details. He had been buried in revision for his maths GCSE at the time, making sure he got the grades he needed to get to college.

Now, he found himself wishing he had paid closer attention to what had happened. He couldn't imagine losing his own mother and he had no idea how a fifteen-year-old Isabella had coped not only with the loss of her own but also sharing it with the world. Without realising what he was doing, Edward's hand reached out for Isabella's, gently covering it with his own. No words were spoken. No words were needed.

-x-

As Isabella and Edward headed back to campus, they broke the comfortable silence they had shared in the park.

"Were you out here all on your own?" It was only as he thought back to the Queen's funeral that Edward realised he had never once seen Isabella with some kind of security while she had been on campus.

"Yeah, I like to be alone when I sketch," she replied. "Why?"

"I just thought your father would have sent some kind of bodyguard for you. I know I would for my daughter if she were ever in your position." Isabella smiled as she realised what Edward was trying to ask.

"See those guys back there?" she jerked her head behind her to where two men, students apparently, seemed to be laughing and joking around. "The big one on the right is Emmett he's been with me for four years now. The other one is Jasper. He is new. I've only known him for about eighteen months."

Edward's mouth hung open in surprise. They didn't look old enough to be security, let alone for a future queen.

"Don't let their appearance fool you. The whole point is for them to blend into the crowd. They live in the other dorm on our floor with a couple of others who work security." Isabella looked around to see if they were still alone before waving to the guys behind them. Emmett gave her a playful bow while Jasper simply nodded his head.

"Huh. I've never even noticed them hanging around before." Edward thought back to all of their previous encounters but he was too focused on Isabella to take notice of who else was around her.

"Then they are doing their job well."

-x-

"So, Halloween is coming up. Do you have any plans?" Edward snuck a quick glance in Isabella's direction to see her reaction to his question, but her face remained impassive.

"Not really. I know there are a few parties going on in different places around the university, maybe I'll hit one of those." Isabella didn't want to seem like a kill-joy but Halloween was not one of her favourite holidays. She wasn't one of those girls who could dress as a slutty 'anything' and blame it all on the day. Even if she wanted to, she never could be one of those girls.

"Garrett and I always head up to Dundee for the weekend to Liquid. It's a new club that opened a few years ago. They have a great atmosphere and the drinks are reasonably priced. It's fancy dress but everywhere is that time of the year. You guys could always join us?" He tried to hide the note of hopefulness in his voice but he wasn't sure he had succeeded when Isabella shot him a coy smile.

"Are you asking me out, Mr Cullen?"

Edward spluttered for a while, trying to find the words,_ any_ words to make the situation a little less embarrassing for himself. But, for some reason, his mouth didn't seem to be cooperating with his brain as all he could do was stand and stare. Isabella took pity on him, letting out an amused giggle.

"I was joking Edward. I know I am not your type. I'll talk to Kate and Angela and see what their plans are." Edward briefly wondered what Isabella meant about not being his type but brushed the comment away as they were finally back on campus and he had a lecture that started in three minutes. Isabella was obviously thinking the same thing as she quickly turned away from him. "I have a seminar to get to, but I'll catch up with you soon." And with that, she was gone.

-x-

The rest of the week passed by without a word from Isabella and Edward pushed the idea of her accompanying him to Liquid out of his mind. Clearly she had only been polite at the time and had no intentions of going to Dundee with him. He had no idea that Isabella hadn't been able to get the invitation out of her mind.

She had been working up the courage to tell Angela and Kate about Edward and Garrett's plans for days and finally decided to bite the bullet. She had agreed to meet the girls for coffee at a small shop they had found on the first week of term. Isabella had been there for an hour already and was busy typing on her laptop when Angela and Kate made their appearance. Both girls had been in the same seminar but Isabella had had the morning free.

"It sounds like the Union would be the best place to check out."

"Check out what?" The girls looked up at the sound of Isabella's voice. She had been hidden behind her laptop screen and Angela and Kate hadn't seen her.

"Halloween weekend. We hear the Union is the best place to be," Angela filled in her friend as she took a seat next to her and Kate left to use the restroom. Isabella seized the opportunity to present Edward's offer.

"I hear that Dundee is supposed to be the best place to spend the weekend. They have a new club there, Liquid, that always holds a cheap and fun night." Kate re-joined the conversation just as Isabella finished speaking. Angela caught her up on what Isabella had said as the princess left to buy their drinks. It was, after all, her turn.

"Who told you about Liquid?" Kate asked, the moment that Isabella placed a skinny, caramel latte in front of her.

"Edward. He said that he and Garrett both went every year for the weekend." Isabella was too busy saving her document to see the look her friends were giving her.

"Edward? Edward Cullen? When did you two talk about Halloween?" Angela was just as flabbergasted as Kate. They hadn't known that their friend had said any more than a friendly hello or goodbye to their other flatmates.

"Monday. He found me in the park and we were just chatting. What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Isabella was becoming slightly uncomfortable under her friends' scrutiny.

"You know Edward's reputation, right? He's not interested in much more than getting into your pants, Isabella. Is that what you really want?" Her friends were worried about her, but Isabella was angry. No, she was fuming. How dare they assume that was all Edward was interested in?

"He offered us a place to spend Halloween weekend, a place that not everybody on campus knows about. He wasn't offering me a one-night stand. I'm not that naïve."

Kate and Angela instantly felt bad for assuming the worse. They didn't know much about Edward, only what they had overheard the other girls say about him in the bathroom. Maybe he really was just trying to be nice.

"We all have half days on Friday. Maybe we could take the train up and go shopping before hitting the clubs?" Kate's mood instantly switched at the possibility of shopping and the atmosphere lightened around the table. All was forgiven as the girls made their plans for Halloween weekend.

-x-

Edward was lying on his bed, highlighting a medical textbook when he heard three quick raps on his door. Thinking it was Garrett back from his last lecture, he yelled out, "it's open," and carried on marking key passages for his next paper.

Isabella looked a little out of place as she entered Edward's room and closed the door behind her. She wasn't really sure what she had been expecting but it certainly wasn't this. Edward had left the walls of his room bare expect for hanging a few pictures of himself with friends and family. There were no posters of naked women or fast cars. In fact, the only poster was on the back of his door and it detailed the nervous system. Edward's room was much the same as hers next door, the only difference being that he had brought a sound system with him that sat on his desk and his duvet cover was a deep red instead of her light purple one. Edward Cullen's room was far more mature than she expected it to be.

Edward still hadn't looked at her since she entered the room so Isabella cleared her throat to draw his attention. It worked, Edward almost fell off of his bed at the surprise interruption. Isabella was the last person he expected to be standing in his room and as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he took a quick glance around, making sure the room was clean and tidy. It always was.

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that Angela, Kate and I will be going up to Dundee for Halloween weekend." Edward's face broke into a breathtaking smile. That was the last thing he expected from her. He had honestly believed she had forgotten all about their conversation Monday afternoon. "We have a half day Friday so we are going to take the train up and do some shopping first."

Edward's smile dipped a little, hearing that they wouldn't be travelling together, but he quickly recovered it. "That's cool. Where are you guys going to be staying?"

"Just at the Travelodge, how about you?"

Edward couldn't hide his snort at Isabella's answer and she felt herself becoming angry once again.

"What is so funny about that?" Edward's amusement only increased at the sight of Isabella's anger. She had even fisted her little hands on her curvaceous hips.

"I'm sorry, it's just the idea of a princess in a Travelodge. It's not exactly five star accommodation."

Isabella's stance softened a little. She could kind of see where Edward was coming from. None of her cousins would ever be seen in anything less than a five star hotel. "I told you, while I am here I am just Isabella. No title, not formalities. Just a normal university student and normal students don't stay in five star hotels."

Edward found himself warming to Isabella even more with her admission. She really was like any normal girl he had met before. She just had an extraordinary life ahead of her.

"We will be in the Travelodge too. Maybe, if you gave me your number, we could meet up before we head to the clubs?" Edward suddenly seemed shy making his request but Isabella was quick to agree to it, pulling out her mobile and handing it to him, for his own number.

Once the pair had exchanged numbers Isabella left Edward to his textbooks and went back to her own room to study. She had only been at her desk for ten minutes when her phone beeped with an incoming message.

_What is your costume for the weekend? ~ E_

**Wait and see… ~ I**

Isabella pushed her own textbook aside and quickly fired up her laptop. She hadn't even thought about a costume for the weekend.

* * *

**Once again, thank you all so much for your reviews, favourite and alerts. I have loved hearing from you guys about this story. It really does make my day brighter. **

**I do send out small bonus teasers for reviewers, but I can't reply if you don't sign in or have your PMs disabled. **

**Any thoughts on what Isabella's costume may be? Or Edward's? **

**Thanks for reading. **


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies and congratulations on your big news Choc.**

**A special shout out to Dolly Reader for being the 100th review for this story. I am blown away by the response to it every week.**

**As a note, Isabella talks about her brothers in this chapter. In my world, the line of succession rules have already been changed to allow Isabella, as the eldest of Charles' children, to take the throne. In reality, this law has only just been changed in time for the birth of the Prince of Cambridge.**

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In the days leading up to Halloween weekend, Edward spent his time getting ahead in all of his projects and reading, so he wouldn't be behind when he returned home from Dundee. Exam season was almost upon them and this would be his last big celebration before he returned to Norfolk for the Christmas holidays.

He and Isabella hadn't seen much of each other, but they had exchanged the odd text message here and there. Just silly little comments throughout the day about the work they were doing or something they had read in a book or seen in a movie. The more they texted, the more Edward realised Isabella was not the woman he expected her to be. For one thing, she had a wicked sense of humour which constantly kept him on his toes. She was also down-to-earth, often talking about her family like they were just regular Joes and her father was not King of the United Kingdom.

On the Friday they were due to leave for Dundee, Edward found himself stuck in lectures all day while Isabella and her friends had already caught a train in to the city. They had left as soon as they could, checked into their rooms and been shopping for finishing touches to their costumes. Edward knew this because he had been trying to extract her costume details since they had found out the theme for the evening – _A Night At The Movies_. So far, all she had said was for him not to expect to see a lot of skin like his regular weekend partners. He was surprised at how gratified this made him feel. He was sure that whatever she chose, she would be the most beautiful woman in the room all evening.

As soon as their last professor had closed his slide show, Edward and Garrett rushed out of the lecture theatre and headed towards the train station as quickly as humanly possible. They, too wanted to make the most out of their time in the city, but unlike the girls, shopping was not a part of their plans.

By the time their train arrived and they made it out of the station, it was almost five. Edward was starving; he hadn't had anything to eat all day and his stomach was starting to protest that decision.

"Hey, do you wanna call the girls and see if they want to grab a bite to eat and maybe hit a club tonight after we have checked in?" Edward didn't want to admit it, but he was looking forward to spending some time with Isabella, without the rest of the student body watching their every move.

"Sure. I'm in the mood for something greasy. You call, I'll get our room keys." Garrett headed in the direction of the main desk while Edward hung back, pulling out his phone and dialling Isabella's number.

She answered on the second ring with a smooth, "Hello."

"Hey, Isabella… it's me… Edward… Cullen." Now he had her on the phone, he was nervous all of a sudden. They had spoken in person a couple of times before but never over a phone. Was there some kind of etiquette for a phone call to a future Queen?

"I know who you are, Edward Cullen. Caller ID is wonderful for that reason." Isabella's gentle laugh echoed down the phone and Edward found himself relaxing into the wall behind him. She had told him time and again that while she was at St Andrews, she was just a normal girl. Why was he so concerned with how to greet a member of the royal family over the phone?

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Um, Garrett and I are just checking in. We wondered if you girls wanted to grab something to eat with us and then hit a bar or a club for the night?"

There was a muffled sound across the line as Isabella covered the mouthpiece to pass along the message to Kate and Angela, but she was back again quickly with an answer. "Sure, we would love to. How about we all meet in the lobby in half an hour? Give you guys time to shower and change and we can get ready too."

Edward quickly agreed to the arrangements and then caught up with Garrett who now had their room keys and was waiting by the bank of elevators on the far side wall.

-x-

Twenty minutes later, Edward and Garrett were on their way back down to the lobby, freshly showered and both changed into jeans and a shirt, Garrett's was a deep red colour and Edward's black.

They had to wait a further fifteen minutes for the girls to arrive, but neither of them complained when they did. Edward's eyes locked onto Isabella's form as soon as she stepped off of the elevator. The Princess was wearing a navy coloured lace panel dress that hit the middle of her thighs and left her legs bare as they flowed down into her nude pumps, with some kind of diamond ankle strap. If it had been any other girl, Edward would have rolled his eyes at what he would presume to be fake diamonds on the shoes. Because it was Isabella, he didn't doubt that hers contained the real deal and yet, he knew that she would never make a big deal out of them the way some girls would.

Garrett seemed to be equally taken with Kate's appearance. He had never noticed it before, but Edward's best friend seemed to be drooling over Isabella's pretty blonde friend. Kate was wearing a bright red mini-dress of her own, but unlike Isabella, she had opted for flat shoes instead of heels. Angela too, seemed to forgo the sky high heels most girls their age wore and Edward briefly wondered why Isabella would have chosen to wear them if her friends hadn't. Then he realised that she had probably been taught to walk in them for long periods of time from a very young age. In the time since they had exchanged numbers, Edward had found himself spending more than a few hours on Google, searching the images of Isabella in their archive and she was never without the killer heels. He may have had one or two dreams of her in those heels, and nothing else.

Angela was the one to break the silence, gesturing in the direction of the front doors and asking, "Shall we?"

Edward led the way out of the hotel and a brief glance over his shoulder showed Emmett and Jasper were following behind at a safe distance, dressed the same way he was. Nobody else in the group seemed to notice the guards behind them and just as Edward was about to turn back around, Emmett sent him a sly wink.

-x-

Having only spent the afternoon in the city, the girls were relying on the guys to show them around. They ended up outside of Metro Brasserie, a small restaurant which offered dishes from all around the world. The girls nodded their assent to the choice of eatery and Edward pulled the door open to allow them to enter.

They found themselves in front of a tall podium with the maître d, a man who looked to be in his early thirties and was dressed in all black, stood behind it. He barely looked up from his stand at the front of the room before addressing the group. "What name is your reservation under?"

Edward cleared his throat awkwardly. He hadn't thought to make a reservation. He and Garrett usually just grabbed a burger or a kebab before hitting the clubs. "Um, we don't have one. Do you have a table free?"

The maître d finally lifted his head, sighing deeply. He hated giving away his best table to college kids. They were always here this time of the year, ordering the cheapest items off the menu and drinking themselves stupid. He had ended up covered in vomit one too many times in the past.

"I'm sorry sir, we are fully booked this evening. You should have made a reservation." He was just about to turn back to his computer when a flash of navy blue caught his eye. He followed the curvaceous figure of a young woman, up her body to her face and then, like so many people, did a double take. This time, it was his turn to clear his throat awkwardly.

"I am so sorry, Your Highness. I didn't know you would be joining us this evening. Let me check the schedule again." He looked down to his computer, wiggling his mouse a little and hitting a few random keys to keep up appearances before lifting his head, a fake smile breaking across his face. "It seems as though we have a cancellation that I overlooked earlier. Please, follow me."

As he was leading the group across the dining room to his best table, Isabella turned to Edward, rolling her eyes slightly at what had just happened. He couldn't contain the snort of laughter that bubbled out of him and the maître d shot him a nasty look, before introducing himself to the group as Marcus.

Marcus showed them to the table he had chosen and held out one chair, gesturing to the Princess in their presence. Isabella thanked him, sitting in the offered chair and allowed him to fuss over her. Once he had left the table, to get some menus, Edward took the seat next to her, with Garrett at the head of the table and Angela and Kate on the other side.

Edward noticed that Jasper and Emmett had taken seats at the bar and had already ordered their drinks, appearing to talk quietly between themselves although their eyes darted around the room every so often. He was glad to see Isabella's security detail looked better at their jobs than he had initially thought them to be.

Edward leaned over to Isabella, keeping their conversation as quiet as possible. "Does that happen a lot?"

"All the time," Isabella laughed. "It can be really annoying at times, like the guy was deliberately being an ass when he told you he was fully booked, and there are six people in this restaurant. But he sees me and suddenly there's a cancellation. I'm upset he thinks I'm dumb enough to fall for that. However, we got our table, so I'm not going to complain…" She looked up to Edward, a mischievous smile on her face. "Yet. Always make the complaints after you've eaten. He can't spit in our food then."

Edward let out a loud, boisterous laugh which drew the attention of everyone else in the restaurant. It was quickly followed by gasps of surprise and whispered conversation as the other diners realised who they were dining with. Isabella elbowed Edward in his ribs, but she had a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Nice one."

-x-

As the group tried to dine in peace, Isabella was increasingly aware that the amount of people in the restaurant was growing by the minute. Clearly, word of her presence had spread and fast. While it tended not to bother her, she had been in the spotlight since the moment her parents left the hospital with her, she was worried about how it would affect her friends. Yet, they didn't seem to notice, or didn't care. Either way, they were still enjoying their food and getting to know the guys they shared a flat with better.

By the time they had all finished their desserts, the restaurant and bar were packed and people were queuing outside to get in. They all wanted the chance to catch a glimpse of their future Queen and were prepared to wait in the cold rain to do so. It was as the last dish was cleared that people began to approach their table. Isabella was just glad their meal hadn't been interrupted.

Edward sat back and watched in fascination as person after person approached Isabella, asking for an autograph, commenting on what her father had done the week before, asking about her brothers or her university life. Jasper and Emmett blended seamlessly into the crowd, inching closer to Isabella in case they were needed. Edward watched as she smiled politely, answering every question as best she could, without giving away too much personal information, and signed every napkin or receipt held out to her. He had no idea how she found the patience to do it all. He would have told everyone to "Fuck off" and leave him alone when they first started approaching the table.

Finally, almost four hours after they had arrived at the restaurant, the manager made his appearance and started herding people out of the doors. He apologised for the disruption to their meal and Isabella waved him off, saying that it happened often and he wasn't to blame. She was incredibly gracious and Edward added that to the list of qualities he found himself adoring about her.

When they were finally able to leave the restaurant it was almost midnight and Kate and Angela had decided to call it a night. They were exhausted just watching Isabella at work. Garrett agreed to walk the girls home as Isabella and Edward weren't quite ready to end their evening. After saying goodbye to their friends, the pair split off heading in the direction of a small pub Edward and Garrett had visited in the past. They would have an hour to themselves before the bartender called last orders.

Isabella was shivering slightly in the chilly Scottish air and so Edward pulled off his leather jacket, laying it gently around her shoulders, before pulling her closer to him.

Neither one of them saw the photographer on the other side of the road. The one who had been following them since they left the restaurant.

Neither one of them saw his camera flash as he caught what was sure to be the picture rushed to the front page for that very morning.

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**Once again, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you all the same. **

**I will post another small teaser with The Fictionators on Monday for chapter 4. **

**Enjoy your weekends. **


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies, especially you Lels. **

**A big thank you to AstridGreenEyes for the beautiful banners she made for the story. I have uploaded them to the blog I created for it. You can find the link on my profile and I will use it for posting teasers and images for the story. **

**Another huge thank you to the girls on Facebook who sent so many readers this way.**

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Isabella woke later that day to the buzzing of her phone. She sighed, reached out to silence the noise and then rolled over falling back into a dreamless sleep. She had been out with Edward until two am that morning and it was far too early for her to even think about getting up.

They had spent a couple of hours talking about everything and nothing over a few drinks. Isabella found herself warming to Edward as she listened to him talk about his family and his passion for medicine. He wanted to become a surgeon, like his father, and he had ever since he turned eleven, when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Edward had gone on to tell Isabella about watching her endure the surgery and radiation therapy and how relieved everyone was when she had been given the all-clear. Since that day, all he wanted to do with his life was to help make other families feel the way he had, when he was told his mother was free of cancer.

Isabella could definitely empathise with him. She had seen her own mother go through the same kinds of surgery and treatments, only she hadn't been as lucky as Esme. Edward was gentle and tender as he held Isabella's hands, watching as she cried for all of the suffering their mothers had been put through and then as she smiled, thinking back on all of her positive memories of her mother.

Not once, during their time at the pub, did she see a hint of the guy her friends had warned her about. Not once during their evening did Edward make any kind of move to get her into his bed. He had been nothing but a good friend to her and Isabella enjoyed every minute she spent with him.

-x-

A little after midday, Isabella finally woke feeling refreshed and rested. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept in so late. She took her time, stretching several times to ensure she was fully awake, before jumping into a hot shower to wash away the stale smoke from the night before.

She switched her phone back on, intending to text her friends to find out where they were and what they were doing for lunch. But, before she could launch her texting program, her phone began lighting up with missed calls, voicemails and text messages. Isabella waited patiently for them all to load before she checked her missed calls first.

_Father – 14 missed calls, Today_

_James – 7 missed calls, Today_

_C.J – 4 missed calls, Today_

_Kate – 2 missed calls, Today_

_Angela – 1 missed call, Today_

_Edward – 5 missed calls, Today_

Something had clearly happened if both her friends and her family were trying so hard to get in touch with her. She skipped over the voicemails and text messages and instead dialled her father's number. He answered before the first ring completed, almost like he had been watching his phone, waiting for her call.

"Daddy, what's wrong? What happened? Are Jamie and C.J alright?" Isabella could not have kept the fear out of her voice, even if she had tried.

"We are all fine, Isabella. I was calling because of you. Tell me, have you seen a newspaper this morning?" Charles was in business mode and Isabella cringed a little. She hoped this wasn't about what happened at the restaurant the night before. She had only done what her mother had taught her to do in such situations.

"No, I haven't." Isabella's tone was curious and that curiosity was only fuelled when Charles let out a deep sigh. She pulled out her laptop and he waited patiently for it to load. When it had, her father told her to check all of the tabloid newspapers' websites. She started with The Sun and was shocked by what she found.

There was a huge, grainy picture of her, from the early hours of the morning, wearing Edward's jacket, with his arm around her shoulders. They had their heads bent together and she was laughing at something Edward had said.

"What the hell is this?" she asked her father. Charles simply took a deep breath and asked his daughter to read the accompanying article.

**IS OUR PRECIOUS PRINCESS BEING LED ASTRAY? **

**Who is the mystery man escorting Princess Isabella of Scotland to a bar at such a late hour? **

**Article Written by George Hudson **

_Weeks after starting her degree in Management Science at the prestigious St Andrews University in Fife, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Isabella of Scotland was spotted out partying into the early hours of the morning with an unknown male friend. _

_Earlier in the evening, the young royal was pictured at a restaurant in Dundee where she and a group of friends were enjoying a meal. Other diners who greeted the Princess said she had told them she and her friends were spending the weekend in the city to attend Halloween celebrations. _

_However, less than three hours later, she was spotted entering a bar with only one male friend for company. A source told The Sun they were "laughing and joking together," and "they looked like they were more than just good friends," as the unknown male pulled Princess Isabella to him, to protect her from the harsh weather. _

_Another source from inside the bar told us, "The princess and her friend came in at about midnight and they stayed for a couple of hours. They were flirting heavily with one another and drinking a fair bit too. When they left, you could tell they weren't just heading home to sleep." _

_The pictures from early this morning have left the whole country wondering if their future Queen is turning into a party girl or if her friend is filling a different role in her life? _

_There has as yet been no official comment from Buckingham Palace. _

Isabella stared, horror stuck for a moment, before she remembered her father on the other end of the line. He hadn't said one word since he told her to read the article.

"Are they all like this?" Isabella's voice was quiet. Charles barely heard her.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, although the broadsheets are a little more tactful with their articles than the tabloids." Charles took a deep breath before asking the question he had wanted an answer to since he woke to those pictures of his only daughter. "Is there something you need to tell me, Izzy?"

Isabella felt awful in that moment. Her father sounded so hurt, like he felt she had been keeping things from him. He had been worried about allowing Isabella to attend a public University. She was so much like his beloved Renee and he couldn't stand to lose her too. He had been keeping in touch with her every day since she had left London and although Isabella had told him about her trip to Dundee for the Halloween weekend, she only mentioned her female friends, Angela and Kate. He didn't think she would be hiding boys from him and certainly not so soon.

"Daddy no, it's not like that. I promise." Isabella took a deep breath, willing the tears not to fall. She hated feeling like she had disappointed her father. "Edward, the guy in the pictures, he's one of my flatmates. He and Garrett, they were the ones who suggested going into Dundee for the weekend. Kate and Angela were tired after we got held up at the restaurant so Garrett walked them back to the hotel. Edward and I weren't so we decided to get a few drinks in before closing. We're just friends. I promise. Please don't be disappointed."

"Izzy, Sweetheart, I'm not disappointed in you. I just want you to know you can always talk to me, about anything. You don't need to hide male friends from me. You're a beautiful young woman, you are bound to make plenty of male friends. I just want you to be careful. Make sure these people like you for _you _and not for your title. At the end of the day, I just want you to be happy. Those pictures of you and Edward, they looked very intimate, even for friends. Can you blame me for being worried?"

Isabella wanted to cry for a different reason this time. She had always shared a close relationship with her father and hearing him express just how much he loved her always brought a tear to her eyes. In public, he was the cool, calm and collected leader he was supposed to be. Behind closed doors, he was just her daddy and she adored him.

"So tell me all about this Edward…"

Isabella spent the next few hours telling her father about her friends and flatmates. She knew he would run a detailed check on them all, he already had with Kate and Angela, but he wanted to hear about them from his daughter before he heard about them from his chief of security.

When Isabella finally hung up she felt more relaxed than she had since turning on her phone. Her father told her he would release a statement to the press informing them she had been out with friends for the evening and she had done nothing that an ordinary college student wouldn't have. He would also neither confirm nor deny a potential romantic relationship with the "young man" from the pictures. Charles had a feeling that their friendship would deepen as Isabella's time at university progressed. He hadn't seen his daughter smile like she had, in some of the tabloid pictures, since her mother passed.

Isabella was just texting her brothers to let them know she had spoken to their father and sorted everything out when there was a knock at her room door. She opened it and was surprised to find a sheepish looking Edward on the other side. He had a copy of The Daily Record under his arm. Isabella smiled gently and opened the door wider to allow him into the room.

"I've already seen it, Edward." She wanted to put the guy out of his misery. He looked so uncomfortable stood in front of her.

"I'm so sorry Isabella. I had no idea we were being followed. I'll understand if you don't think we should be friends anymore."

Isabella's eyebrows shot up with his words. "Why wouldn't I want us to be friends anymore?"

Edward wouldn't look at her as he answered her question.

"Well, I'm not exactly the kind of guy your father would want you hanging around with. My family aren't well off or connected to anyone of royal heritage. They live in this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. I drink, I swear and I'm not exactly a virgin."

"Edward, my father doesn't care about any of that. All he cares about is that you like me for _me_ and not for my title. You do, don't you?" This time, it was Isabella's turn to be unsure.

"Of course I do Isabella. To be honest with you, when I first saw you in our flat I was horrified. I didn't want to live with a Princess. I thought you would be stuck-up, snobbish and incredibly boring. I can say, with complete honesty, you are absolutely none of those things. I've enjoyed getting to know you."

"I have too." Isabella's cheeks flushed a bright pink with her admission and it was the first time Edward had ever seen it before. He found her reaction rather adorable.

Isabella quickly cleared her throat and decided to change the subject. "How about we go and get some lunch. I am famished."

"Ladies first, Your Highness," Edward gestured to the door and after grabbing her bag, phone and her key, Isabella lead the way out of the room.

-x-

After a quick message to Angela, Kate and Garrett the group of friends met at a small café not far from the Travelodge. The girls had taken it upon themselves to bring a copy of the day's papers so they could laugh over the articles. They spent a good hour making fun of Edward's hair, the different "sources" comments and the text messages Isabella's brothers had sent to her when they saw the pictures.

By the time they finished eating and laughing, the girls declared they needed to go back to the hotel and get ready for the evening. Edward was not at all surprised. He had two younger sisters. He knew how long it would take them to primp and preen themselves but Garrett looked horrified at the idea of spending three hours in a bathroom. Instead, the group separated, Edward and Garrett heading to a pool hall for a couple of hours and the girls made their way back to Angela and Kate's room to get ready together.

When all three had showered and were in their dressing gowns, they sat down with a glass of wine to gossip as they helped to style each other's hair. With a little bit of liquid courage, Kate decided to open up to her best friends a little.

"I think I like Garrett." While Kate was expecting her friends to make a huge deal out of her announcement, instead, it was greeted only by Angela's murmured, "about time."

"You knew?" she looked between Isabella and Angela and what she found in her friends' eyes made her laugh. "Well damn, I thought I was doing a good job of hiding that. You don't think he knows, do you?"

"I doubt it. Guys don't tend to pick up on that stuff. You have to spell it out for them." Isabella had a little experience in this area. While she had never had a long term relationship before, that didn't mean she had never dated.

Angela nodded in agreement. "She's right. Garrett is totally into you too, but he isn't going to do anything unless you spell it out to him."

"Well then. I guess it is a good job I decided to go to the party as his favourite actress tonight." Kate smirked at her friends and they burst into giggles.

This was definitely going to be an interesting evening.

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**The Princess And The Playboy has been nominated for Fic of The week over at The Lemonade Stand. Thank you for the nomination Dolly :-D I'm giddy once again! **

**Once again, I really cannot thank you enough for all of your kind words and encouragement. It makes the day that much more special.**

**Thank you to christykq for your sweet review. I couldn't send you a message in reply but I wanted you to know I loved reading your words. **

**As always, I will post teasers with review replies and on The Fictionators website for chapter 5. **

**Thanks for reading. **


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies. **

**A big thank you to Dolly Reader who nominated this story for Fic of the Week over at The Lemonade Stand last week. And hello to all of the new readers. **

**A shout out this time to Gabi-b for being the 200****th**** reviewer. I am amazed at your love for this fic.**

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Edward had just finished wrestling with his bow tie when Garett began banging on his bathroom door. "Come on man, we're going to be late picking up the girls if you don't hurry yourself up."

Edward suppressed a smile, knowing there was only one girl his best friend was in a hurry to get to. When Isabella and her friends had agreed to accompany them to the Halloween party at Liquid he had to rethink his costume. She didn't strike him as the kind of girl to opt for something slutty, so he had chosen something more sophisticated for himself. A costume that would be worthy of standing next to a Princess.

He unlocked the bathroom door and let out a snort when he saw what costume his friend had chosen for the evening. Garrett was barely recognisable, even to Edward who had known him for almost three years. His usually short, dark hair was draped with a long, blonde wig, half of which was pulled back into a pony tail. His ears were covered with plastic, fake ears giving them a pointed look at the tops and he was wearing green leggings, green boots and a green tunic, all covered with a green cloak.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Edward couldn't contain his laughter any more.

"I'm Legolas, you know, from _The Lord of the Rings_. Katie said he was her favourite movie character." Garrett was a little sheepish in his defence of his costume, especially when he took in Edward's. "Who are you supposed to be anyway?" Garrett knew the answer. He was just trying to save some of his dignity.

"Bond. James Bond."

"Very original," Garrett taunted his friend. He knew exactly why Edward had chosen the character. It had everything to do with their royal flatmate and nothing to do with a lack of costumes, as Edward had previously suggested.

-x-

When Angela opened the door to her room twenty minutes later she laughed a little at what she found. Bond and Legolas weren't exactly your usual pairing but she moved aside to let the guys in. Kate squealed in delight. She was so happy to see that Garrett had made the effort to go as her favourite movie character and she was glad that she had opted to dress as Galadriel. The two elves looked rather striking when stood next to each other.

Edward offered Angela a comment on her own costume but he was really waiting to see what Isabella had chosen. If he knew her at all then it would be nothing like either of her friends'. Where Kate had gone for sci-fi and fantasy, Angela had clearly gone for sex appeal, dressing as Angelina Jolie from the _Tomb Raider_ movies. Edward had to hand it to her; this time last year he would have had her in his bed by the end of the evening. This year, he found himself indifferent to what Angela was wearing and more excited by what Isabella could have chosen.

When the bathroom door finally opened, Edward's heart started to race like a runaway train. Isabella had not been aiming for sexy, but damn did she pull it off anyway. She was wearing a floor length, black gown which was incredibly modest, only showing off her arms and small sections of her back and shoulder blades. She had accessorised it with a huge pearl and diamond necklace, matching earrings and elbow length black gloves. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, held in place with a diamond clip that matched her necklace and she was twirling a prop cigarette holder between her index and middle fingers. He would know that look anywhere; she had chosen a character from his mother's favourite movie. She was Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly from _Breakfast at Tiffany's. _ His mouth had suddenly gone very dry.

Edward stood and watched as Isabella's friends praised her on her costume and told her how good she looked while she returned the compliments. He couldn't find the words to tell her just how stunning she looked. For the first time in his life, Edward Cullen found himself completely and utterly speechless. Thankfully, Garrett saved him from any embarrassment by picking up the conversation.

When Isabella turned her attention to Edward, she took her time fully taking in his own costume. Every time she saw him around campus he was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt or sweater, depending upon the weather. Last night, she thought he had looked good dressed up for their meal. Tonight, stood before her in a tuxedo, he looked positively sinful.

"Looking good, Mr Cullen. There is just one problem though." She stepped forward, pulling his crooked bowtie loose to re-tie it for him. Edward had never tied one before so he had struggled slightly. Having grown up surrounded by men, Isabella had often seen her father and her brothers tying their own. It was something of an art form.

Once she had finished she stepped back slightly to survey her handiwork. "There, now you'll be fighting all the ladies off tonight."

That remark was the one to finally snap Edward into action and he walked forward, taking Isabella's hands into his own. "You look amazing, Isabella. _You_ will definitely be stealing the show tonight."

Isabella blushed slightly and then turned to grab her wrap, trying to hide the colour in her cheeks. She wasn't successful.

-x-

When the car pulled up to the kerb outside of the club, Garrett thanked the driver and then helped the ladies out of the vehicle. Unlike Edward, he didn't seem to realise Jasper had been following them all around the city and wasn't just some guy hired for the evening. It made Edward wonder if Angela and Kate knew about Isabella's security detail like he did, or, if she had kept it to herself. He secretly hoped he was the only one she had confided this secret to.

It took them a few minutes of waiting to get into the club. Isabella had offered to pull some strings to make it faster, but her friends all knew how she hated using her title when she was with them. They were more than happy to wait in line like regular university students, as long as she was.

When they made it inside, Garrett went off to fetch some drinks while Edward and the girls hunted down a free table. Isabella had never been in a nightclub before and she was fascinated by the amount of people inside the one room, all drinking heavily and all dressed as their favourite Hollywood characters.

She was rather enjoying watching Tom Cruise dancing with Jennifer Aniston and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike making out with Brad Pitt, when a guy approached the table asking Angela to join him on the dance floor. She spared a quick glance at her friends, checking to see if they were happy for her to leave, before making her way to the centre of the room with Daredevil.

Over the next few hours Angela and Daredevil, or Ben as he introduced himself to the group, spent their time split between the dance floor and their table. Ben was at Dundee University studying mathematics and Angela seemed quite smitten with him. Kate and Garrett also left the table on occasions to join the dance floor when one of their favourite songs were playing.

A few girls approached throughout the night asking Edward if he wanted to dance or if he wanted a drink, but he always politely declined their offers. After a while, Isabella began to worry that she was cramping his style a little so after another round of drinks she joined Angela and Kate on the dance floor. She watched, while she was dancing, as Edward continued to dismiss girl after girl, his eyes always finding their way back to her.

"You should ask him to dance, you know." Isabella pulled her eyes away from Edward to look at Angela.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Isabella wasn't fooling herself let alone her friends.

"He's been watching you all evening. Sending away woman after woman. Garett's already told me, _that_ is not normal Edward behaviour. This time last year he had already left the party with some random brunette. He's waiting for you to go over there and ask him to dance." Kate's eyes were fierce as she urged her friend on. She had seen the way Edward and Isabella had been dancing around each other and if she waited much longer, she was worried Edward would take up one of the other girls' offer for a drink or a dance.

As much as her friends had been worried about Edward's intentions with Isabella, what they had seen the night before, over dinner, had put both of their minds at rest. Edward seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Isabella better and he made no move to flirt with her the way he used to with other girls their age. While Edward couldn't see what was happening, Angela and Kate could.

Edward Cullen was falling for Princess Isabella of Scotland.

"It's just one dance." Angela's tone was almost taunting.

Isabella took another look in Edward's direction just in time to see him send another admirer on her way. When he turned, his stare locked with hers and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She raised her right hand and with her index finger, beckoned Edward over to her. He took the hint; rising from his chair, downing the rest of his beer and making his way over to the girls. Angela and Kate took that as their cue to leave.

Then it was just the two of them.

Like a cheesy movie scene, the song shifted, the DJ opting this time for something a little slower and as Isabella heard the opening to Nelly and Tim McGraw's "Over and Over," she felt her confidence grow. Looping her arms around Edward's neck she pulled him further onto the dance floor and into her arms.

At first, Edward was a little tense. Although he had danced with plenty of girls in the past, he had never danced with a Princess. She had probably taken dance lessons in her childhood. He certainly hadn't. He had been more interested in playing football. He was unsure about how to hold her or where to put his hands. Eventually, Isabella made the decision for him, resting her head on his chest, leaving Edward no choice but to wind his arms around her waist.

They continued swaying back and forth for the duration of a few songs. It wasn't awkward for either of them. In fact, Isabella felt incredibly comfortable in Edward's arms and he was rather enjoying having her there. As the song switched once again to James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," Isabella felt Edward's chest rumble slightly as he began to sing along, his voice muffled by her hair.

She raised her head with the intention to listen as Edward sung the beautiful lyrics but when her gaze met his she froze. The look in Edward's eyes was almost too much for her to bear. His usually bright and lush greens were dark and intense, burning through her own and into her soul. His lips were still mouthing the words of the song but Isabella could no longer hear them. She couldn't focus on anything but the way he was looking at her, like she was the gravity anchoring him to this Earth.

It was in that moment that Isabella forgot everything. She forgot they were in a crowded club, full of university students. She forgot her friends were sat at a table nearby, watching the two of them with the same fascination as they had a documentary on insects mating, last weekend. She even forgot about her title and what her future held. In that moment, all she could think about was how right it felt to be in Edward's arms.

She leaned forward, fully intending on pressing her lips to his when there was a sudden flash of light to her left. Blinking rapidly to clear the bright spot in her vision she turned and was met with a wall of camera phones. Their bright flashes were like a bucket of ice cold water and both Isabella and Edward snapped out of their lust-filled haze.

Edward took charge of the situation, turning them both so that she was shielded from the phones and guiding her back towards their table. Unfortunately the crowd followed.

"I think we need to get out of here." Edward's voice was low, whispered so only Isabella could hear what he was saying.

"I should go and you should stay. Enjoy your evening. I'm only ruining things by being here." Isabella's mood had switched drastically. Suddenly she couldn't shut out the thoughts that had been absent while she was in Edward's arms. What was she even thinking trying to kiss him? He already had his picture splashed across the front page of every paper in the country and all over the internet. He wouldn't want this and it wasn't fair of her to drag him into that lifestyle.

Edward could see Isabella was beginning to pull away from him and he would not allow that to happen. Instead, he told their friends they were leaving and proceeded to escort Isabella from the building. He managed to shake a few of the people following them with camera phones but when they stepped outside of the club, there were plenty of real paparazzi waiting for them. Apparently word had spread. Fast.

Emmett and Jasper were already in place, and pulled Isabella back, into the safety of the club. Jasper was busy barking orders at the manager to call for more security as he dialled for a car, while Emmett tried to hold back the growing crowd with their digital cameras and camera phones. Isabella stood beside Edward, locked inside her own mind and shaking with fear. She had never been confronted by paparazzi before without the usual guard of ten her father insisted she take. And the alcohol in her system was starting to make her feel ill. Jasper and Emmett wouldn't be enough to control the situation if it began to escalate.

Edward pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back gently to try and soothe her nerves. As much as she wanted to fight him, her body wasn't co-operating and instead, melted into his embrace. When the manager returned, telling them the car was right outside the door, waiting, Isabella straightened her head and allowed Edward to guide her outside and into the safety of the car. Jasper and Emmett followed, closely behind.

Inside, she turned worried eyes to her friend. "Edward, I am so sorry. Those pictures are going to be everywhere by morning. My God, what are your family going to think of me?" There were tears welling in her eyes. As much as she had come to treasure Edward's friendship, she was now certain she was no good for him.

"Hey, look at me." Edward waited while Isabella raised damp eyes to his own. "I will call my parents and warn them about the pictures. They're not going to be worried about them. They know you're at uni with me and they even joked about us being friends before I left for the year. Honestly, my mum will probably throw a party when she sees them." He paused as Isabella chuckled and dried her eyes before he continued. "Isabella, I am not worried about this. It is not your fault someone outed you and it's not your fault that our evening was cut short. I like being your friend and if you think a few photographers are going to scare me off you clearly don't know me well enough."

Isabella laughed and found herself more at ease than she had been since her dance with Edward had been so rudely interrupted. He had a natural gift for assuaging all her fears. "Maybe we should rectify that?"

"Huh?" Edward was a little confused.

"It's still early. Maybe we could grab some food and a couple of bottles of beer and get to know each other a little better in my room?" All of a sudden she was nervous about the possibility of Edward rejecting her.

She had no reason to be.

As soon as the words left her mouth his face broke into the widest smile she had ever seen.

With that settled, she turned to face the front of the car, snuggling into Edward's left side, his arm slipping around her shoulders and pulling her to him tighter. She missed the not-so-subtle wink Emmett sent to Edward, over her shoulder.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. As always your words make the day a little brighter. If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to answer your questions or reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you. If you want any answers feel free to send me a PM or find me on twitter. **

**I also wanted to thank guest reviewer Allidel for you sweet words. **

**The teaser for chapter 6 will be up with The Fictionators on Monday. **

**Have a great weekend. **


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**Sorry this is a little late. We've been doing work on our home and now it is over, I should be back on schedule. Look for the next update a week from today. **

**A big thank you to all of you who voted for this story over at The Lemonade Stand. It came second and I am still speechless. Thanks again to Dolly Reader for nominating it and Astrid for all her pimping on Facebook**

**A shout out this time to vivalarye for being the 300th reviewer.**

* * *

When the car pulled up outside of the Travelodge, Isabella was relieved to see none of the paparazzi had been following closely enough to find out where she was staying. Edward helped her out and into the lobby, thankful it was empty at this time of the evening.

"I'm going to run out and grab us a few bottles of beer, and something to eat. Why don't you go up to your room and change into something more comfortable and I will meet you there?" Edward was already turning to head out when Isabella grabbed his arm and his attention.

"I can come with you. I don't mind." Isabella looked like she didn't really want to be alone after the ambush, but Edward knew taking her with him would only cause more problems.

"I know you don't, but let's face it, out of the two of us you are far more likely to get noticed than I am. I'll be back in less than an hour." Isabella softened slightly and released her grip on Edward's arm. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before watching her make her way to the bank of elevators and then turning and jogging out of the lobby.

-x-

As Edward made his way to the nearest supermarket, he pulled out his mobile phone to call his parents. A look at the screen told him it was almost midnight and he didn't want to call home and risk waking his mother and sisters. Instead, he took a chance and called the number for his father's office phone.

He answered on the third ring. "Dr Carlisle Cullen."

"Dad, it's me."

"Edward?" Carlisle sounded worried, and Edward cursed himself for not thinking to put him at ease as soon as he answered the call. "Is everything alright? Tell me you're not calling from a police station somewhere."

"Thanks for your confidence, Dad," Edward rolled his eyes. "And yes, everything is okay. I just had something I wanted to talk to you about and it couldn't really wait." He had arrived at Tesco and he was thankful for that. The store was much warmer than the cold, autumn air outside.

"Edward. I thought I taught you better than that." Edward furrowed his brow, unsure as to what his father was talking about as he perused the drinks aisles of the supermarket. "I'm too young to be a grandfather. Safe sex, Son. It's not hard to remember." It was a good thing Edward was on his own, because his cheeks had never been so bright.

"Jesus, Dad, no. No, no, _no_. First, let us never speak about our sex lives again. I know you're a doctor, but that is just weird. Secondly, the only reason I didn't want to wait was because you probably would have seen the papers by the time I called."

"Papers? What have you done, Edward?" Edward could hear his father's leather, office chair creaking and he could imagine the older man, leaning back, his free hand coming up to rub at his eyes.

"Well, my flatmates and I have been in Dundee for the Halloween weekend, like I told you about yesterday."

"And?" Carlisle knew there was far more to this story. Edward glanced around quickly to make sure he was alone and then dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Well, I may have neglected to tell you Her Royal Highness, The Princess Isabella of Scotland, is one of my flatmates."

Carlisle burst into laughter on the end of the line. While Edward waited for him to calm down, he paid for the beer and made his way to the local takeaway to buy some dinner.

"Have you finished?" Edward asked when he was finally outside again. Was it really that ridiculous of an idea? Why couldn't he be friends with a Princess?

"Sorry, Son that was a good one. Now what did you _really_ want to tell me?"

"Why is it so hard to believe I am friends with Isabella? Actually forget that, as you're in your office, why don't you search for the most recent pictures of the Princess?"

"Fine." Edward knew that tone. It was the tone his father used when he was humouring one of his children.

He heard the sound of Carlisle tapping away on keys and a mouse clicking before his father's loud exclamation of, "Bloody hell,"come over the line. Clearly the pictures from the evening were already up.

When he reached the front of the line, Edward asked his father to wait as he placed his order. While the food was being cooked, he unmuted the phone and resumed his conversation.

"How did this happen?" Carlisle had been speechless as soon as he saw the future Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms in his son's arms. As Edward ordered his food, he has scrolled through gossip site after gossip site, all with the same pictures of Edward and Princess Isabella in each other's arms and all with the same story of some 'source' claiming they were in a relationship.

"I told you, she lives in my flat. I'm not really responsible for room allocations. They tend to be random."

"I didn't mean that, I meant your relationship. Why wouldn't you tell your mother and I you were dating a Princess?"

"I'm not dating Isabella. We're just friends. That's why I called. She was worried about how your guys would react to this kind of gossip so I thought I would call and let you know in advance. We are not dating. We are just friends, trying to enjoy our night clubbing."

Edward heard some muffled conversation on the other end of the line before his father's voice came back. "Edward, I have to go. We've had an emergency come in through A&E. Call tomorrow so we can talk more about this?"

"Sure. Have a good night, Dad."

"You too, Son."

-x-

Isabella had just finished brushing out her hair when Edward knocked on the door. She had changed out of her dress and jewels and into some pyjama pants and a vest top. She still looked beautiful to Edward.

"I brought beer and food," he said, holding up his right hand to show the bag containing bottles of beer he had brought from Tesco and then the left to show the takeaway food.

Isabella stepped back to allow him to enter, before closing and locking the door behind him. He placed both bags onto the small desk in the corner before shrugging off his suit jacket, undoing his bow tie and opening the first few buttons of his shirt. As much as he had enjoyed the evening, he hated wearing those damned penguin suits.

Isabella flicked on her small television and began hunting for something to watch. She left it on some film she could remember James and Charles Junior once watching, but she had never seen it herself. Edward took the time to set out three polystyrene trays, a set of plastic cutlery and two bottles of beer.

"Do you have a bottle opener?" Isabella held her bottle up and out to Edward as she got comfortable on the floor.

"Um, no. I forgot to get a bottle opener." Edward's cheeks flamed once again. He felt like such an idiot. Who buys bottles of beer without buying something to open them with?

"Oh, no worries, I'm sure the hotel have one we could use." Isabella made as if to get and up and use the phone but Edward pulled her back down to the floor.

"Wait a minute, I have an idea." He took both bottles back over to the desk. Holding the first at a forty-five degree angle, with the rim of the cap resting on the edge of the desk, he slammed the heel of his hand down on top of it. The cap popped off, shooting across the desk and rolling off the other side to land in the small bin.

Isabella laughed appreciatively. "I bet you can't do that a second time," she teased.

Edward accepted the challenge, popping off the second cap in much the same way, only this time it hit the window and fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"Damn," his smile fell slightly but lifted once again when Isabella began giggling. He couldn't remain upset with anything that made her laugh that way. When he had done his research on Google, Edward had found many videos of the young Princess laughing, but none of them were as carefree and relaxed as she was now. Those videos showed the laughter of a young woman, putting on an act for the rest of the world. This was the laugh of a young woman letting go and truly enjoying herself.

Edward brought the drinks back over to the two of them and touched the neck of his bottle to hers. "To our crazy Halloween." Isabella echoed his sentiment and took a pull from her beer. She set the bottle down on the floor, and opened the tray Edward had placed in front of her.

"What the hell is this?" Using a plastic fork, Isabella began prodding at the meal Edward had brought for her.

"It's a chicken kebab. Tell me you have had a kebab before?" Edward looked expectantly at the Princess by his side while he opened his own tray of food. His looked even worse than hers did with some kind of stringy meat doused in what smelled like chilli sauce and salad.

"Um, no. This doesn't even look edible." Isabella screwed up her face in disgust.

Edward was shocked. He knew Isabella had enjoyed a privileged upbringing but he didn't realise how sheltered it had been. What eighteen-year-old girl had managed to go this long in life without trying a kebab? Before he left for university, if his dad was not working on a weekend, he would treat Edward to a kebab and a beer while the two of them watched their beloved Manchester United play football.

"Okay, well there is a first time for everything and trust me, it tastes better than it looks." Isabella did not look convinced. "It's a toasted pita bread with grilled chicken and a light mayonnaise. I didn't take you for a chilli sauce kind of girl." He gave her a flirtatious smile but he couldn't keep it up. Not when she looked so disgusted by the food he chose for her. With a heavy sigh he moved to take it away from her. "It's okay, I'll order pizza."

Isabella couldn't deny that wounded puppy dog face Edward was wearing so she pulled the tray back, speared a chunk of chicken with her fork and shoved it straight into her mouth, already anticipating the horrid taste. Only, it didn't come. She took another bite and chewed carefully, enjoying the slightly spicy taste of the chicken against the crisp bite of the green salad.

"Wow, um, this is pretty good," she spoke round a mouthful of food and then cringed. Her grandmother would be most displeased if she had seen Isabella then. Edward, on the other hand, couldn't care less. He dove into his own kebab with vigour, opening the tray of fries he had brought for the two of them to share.

"So, um, twenty questions?" Isabella paused to grab a drink and raised her eyes to Edward's.

"Sure. It's as good a way as any, I suppose." Edward slowed down a little so he would have time to talk in between inhaling his food. "Can I start?" When Isabella nodded her head, Edward rushed out his first question. "So, um, I've always wanted to know, what's your full name? I mean, do the royal family even have a surname?"

Isabella laughed once again but finished her mouthful before she spoke. "Yes, they do have surnames. We tend to refer to them as houses. You remember your history lessons, right? The Houses of Tudor and Stewart? Those were also surnames – Henry Tudor and James Stewart. My Father is from the House of Buckingham but when he married my mother, they wanted to give their children a new legacy so they combined their names. My official surname is Buckingham- Cisne de Borbon. I use Swan while I am here. It's the English translation of my mother's name."

Edward looked a little stunned by the information she had given him. "Your mother was Spanish, right?"

"Half Spanish, half Italian. My grandmother is Italian and my grandfather is the King of Spain." This was news to Edward. He knew Isabella came from a powerful family but he didn't realise they were_ that_ powerful!

"So, let me get this right. Your father is the King of the United Kingdom and your Grandfather is the King of Spain? Are you going to be Queen of Spain too?"

"No, my mother was the youngest sibling, she had four elder brothers so my Uncle Felipe is the first in line to the Spanish throne and he has a son and two daughters too."

"Wow, do you see them often?" Edward looked truly interested in Isabella's story. He had barely touched his food since she started speaking and she could tell it wasn't just her title that held his attention.

"Yeah, a couple of times a year. I like spending time with my grandfather and uncles. They have some incredible memories of my mother from when she was young." The light in Isabella's eyes dimmed slightly and Edward decided to pull her back before she could slip away from him.

"So, tell me your official title in full. It's got to be a mouthful, right?"

"Um, yeah. It's; Her Royal Highness, The Princess Isabella Maria Elizabeth Renee Buckingham- Cisne de Borbon of Scotland, Great Stewardess of Scotland, Duchess of Cornwall, Countess of Chester, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Wales."

Edward's mouth was hanging open by the time she had finished. He was never going to remember all of that.

"How do you sign that on a cheque?" Isabella couldn't help herself, she burst into laughter. "What would your husband be called when you get married? You know, even Isabella is a mouthful, you should use something shorter like Iz or Izzy."

It took a while for Isabella to calm enough to answer Edward's questions. "Firstly, because I am a female, my husband wouldn't take the title of Prince unless he was from another royal family and he won't be entitled to use King when I assume the throne either. If he is a non-royal then he would assume my highest-ranking subsidiary title and become the Duke of Cornwall. Secondly, it's traditional to use full Christian names in public but we don't behind closed doors. To my family and close friends, my father is Charlie, we call my brothers Jamie and C.J and dad calls me Izzy. Mum used to call me Bella, because of her Italian roots, but nobody has since she passed away."

Edward took a moment to absorb Isabella's words before declaring, "Bella. I like that. It suits you," and then he returned to inhaling his now cold kebab and fries.

-x-

While they ate, Isabella and Edward asked questions ranging from, "What's your favourite colour?" to, "Where is your dream holiday destination?" Although he didn't know it yet, Edward now knew more about Isabella than anyone outside of her immediate family. She was often wary about letting others in, but for some reason, she couldn't find the willpower to keep Edward out. He was slowly snaking his way into her heart.

When they had finished their meal, Edward cleared away the rubbish while Isabella made herself comfortable on the bed, flicking through the television stations to find something for the two of them to watch. She was so distracted by the television she didn't notice Edward slip into the bathroom to wash up. She _did_ notice when he crawled up onto the bed next to her, his bowtie completely removed, shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow and the buttons now completely undone down the middle. The shirt shifted with his every move, exposing a different part of his toned chest and ink.

Isabella couldn't have taken her eyes off of Edward if she had tried and he certainly noticed. He cleared his throat to draw her attention and then gestured to his face. "Eyes up here, Princess." She laughed to cover her embarrassment and threw a pillow at him.

"Funny! I was looking at your tattoo," she lied. "Tell me about it."

"Not much to say," Edward replied, pulling his shirt back to expose the portion of the art on his chest. "When I turned eighteen I wanted to do something to celebrate besides the traditional first drink. I was in town, intending to meet some friends for drinks but ended up inside a tattoo parlour instead. Adam, the guy who owned the place, started this that first night and I've just added to it until I felt it was complete."

Isabella reached out a cautious hand and began following the lines of black ink from Edward's shoulder to his hip. The lower her hand moved, the more his body began to tremble. He wasn't sure if he was happy when she quickly snatched her hand back or disappointed she hadn't moved it any lower.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted and Isabella fidgeted under its weight. While she was attracted to Edward, she wasn't sure starting anything with him that evening would be a good idea. Tomorrow they would both face a media circus. Their whole lives would be watched and scrutinised for any small story the press could release to the world. She could barely cope with it and Isabella had been dealing with the attention all her life. As much as Edward swore he could handle it, she wasn't sure he truly understood just how much his life was about to change.

Not wanting to bring the mood down, Isabella turned to Edward with her last question of the night.

"When did you lose your virginity?"

Edward, who had been taking a pull from his beer at the time, proceeded to spray it all over her bed sheets as he choked in surprise. When he finally stopped gasping for breath he turned wide eyes on his friend. "Jesus, Bella. Warn a guy before you ask a question like that."

The smile that broke across Isabella's face had nothing to do with Edward's gasping for breath and everything to do with the way her mother's nickname rolled off of his tongue.

* * *

**As a note, all of the male equivalents of the titles mentioned here for Isabella belong to The Prince of Wales. He actually has many more but I could fill a whole chapter with those and many are based on his achievements in the military. I just switched the Scottish and Welsh parts around as I made Isabella the Princess of Scotland and not of Wales.**

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to answer your questions or reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you. Your words were so sweet. If you want any answers or a teaser for the next chapter feel free to send me a PM or find me on twitter kymbersmith90**

**As The Fictionators have taken down their site, I will continue posting teasers for chapters on my blog and on a new site called Fictease. I will post all of the links on my profile page.**

**Finally, I have signed up to donate the BBC Interview as an outtake to the Fandom for Mexico. You can find details of their cause on my profile page. **

**Have a great week.**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**A shout out to Lilly1212 for being the 400th review for this story. I can't wait to see if you guys will get it to 500 with this update!**

**In answer to a guest reviewer's question, I don't know anything about the beginning of William and Kate's relationship except where they met and what they were studying. I was tempted to look it up but decided to hold off so that this part of Edward and Isabella's relationship would be unique to them.**

* * *

_"When did you lose your virginity?"_

* * *

Edward made a huge show of trying to clean the bed of the liquid he had sprayed across it, but he was more concerned with dodging the question than the possibility of causing a stain. He was avoiding Isabella's eyes, too, but she would have none of that. She reached out a tender hand and gently raised his face to hers. He hadn't realised how close they were sitting until he felt her breath wash over his face.

Edward pulled back slightly to clear his head, and the distance gave him the chance to really look at Isabella. Her eyes were bright and shone with humour, knowing she had saved her most embarrassing question for last. Her cheeks were flushed, and this time Edward knew it had nothing to do with the temperature in the room.

"Bella, are you tipsy?" The alcohol had clearly given her the courage to ask her final question, but she didn't seem so far gone she wouldn't remember the night come tomorrow morning. A brief moment of fear flashed in Edward's mind when he realised this may be the first time Isabella had drunk as much as she did, but was quickly put to rest with her answer.

"A little. Don't worry, Edward it's not the first time and it won't be the last. Now, are you going to answer my question?" She narrowed her eyes in challenge and Edward gulped. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with a Princess.

"How do you know I'm not still a virgin?" Edward was stalling again and Isabella knew it.

She let a wicked smile curve her lips. "Edward, the walls really aren't that thick back at the flat. I've heard more girls than I would like praise Jesus for you and your cock. If _you_ are still a virgin, _I_ will abdicate my rights to the throne."

Edward was horrified. The colour drained from his face and all of a sudden he looked nervous. He couldn't face Isabella. He had been sure she knew nothing about his weekend visitors.

Isabella gently eased herself off the bed and Edward was sure she was going to ask him to leave. How could she even bear to look at him, knowing what she did? "Hey, it's okay. I was teasing. You don't need to be ashamed or anything." Her small hands landed on his knees and slid up his thighs. Edward's eyes flashed to hers. He hadn't heard her come around to his side of the bed. "Honestly it's fine. It's your life, you're not hurting anyone. You don't need to worry about what I think."

"How are you so perfect?" Edward's hand came up to trace the lines of Isabella's face. Even her skin was so incredibly soft.

"I'm not perfect, Edward. Far from it actually. I just have a team of people behind the scenes that make sure all of my biggest flaws aren't splashed across the national newspapers."

Edward's hand fell back to his side in defeat. "Until now," he murmured, almost too low for Isabella to hear. Almost.

"Our friendship is not a flaw, Edward. In fact, it's possibly one of the best things to happen to me since I left London." All of the laughter left Isabella's eyes. She was serious and Edward didn't know how to react to that. Instead of words, he urged her up and back onto the bed where he slid over, making room for her, before pulling Isabella into his arms and holding her tight.

They spent the rest of their night laying together in the middle of Isabella's bed, watching crappy movies. Sometime close to two am, Isabella fell asleep, her head resting on Edward's chest as his arm curled around her shoulders.

As close as they had become over the weekend, Edward wasn't sure how Isabella would feel waking up with him in her bed, so he gently extracted himself from underneath her. When he was free from the bed he gathered his clothing under his left arm, before using the right to cover Isabella with the duvet.

He made his way quietly to the door but stopped as his hand landed on the knob and made his way back to the bed.

"_You_ are the best thing to have ever happened to me, Bella."

He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead and quickly left the room.

He didn't see Emmett standing off to the side of the door.

-x-

Carlisle Cullen was leaving the hospital after his shift when he noticed the WH Smith on the ground floor was opening. As the sales assistant was stacking the day's newspapers into the right shelves, he could see various different images of his son, dressed in a tux, holding the Princess Isabella of Scotland in various different positions. He swung into the store, grabbing a copy of each of the day's papers, paid for them and then headed straight home.

When he pulled in to the garage of his modest home in Norfolk, Carlisle left his bag and coat in the car. He only pulled out the newspapers he'd bought earlier that morning, tucking them under his arm as he made his way to the kitchen table.

The headlines varied depending on the type of paper he purchased with tabloids, like _The Daily Mirror_ and _The Sun_, running stories about Princess Isabella becoming a party girl and being led astray by his son, whose name they didn't yet know. The broadsheets were more tactful, suggesting maybe the young Princess had found love in the arms of a fellow student at university.

He sighed heavily. Soon, everyone in town would have seen those picture and know Edward was the man in them. He had to make sure his wife and daughters found out before they were cornered. So instead of heading upstairs to take a shower and get some sleep, Carlisle busied himself making coffee and breakfast for his girls as the sound of alarm clocks ringing echoed throughout the house.

-x-

When Esme entered her kitchen that morning, she was surprised to find her husband buried under a pile of national newspapers. He never normally read tabloid papers, saying they were gossip mongers and not news tellers, but here he was with _The Sun_ opened in front of him to what appeared to be the main news of the day.

"Carlisle, darling, what's wrong?" Carlisle smiled warmly at his wife. He knew how she would take this news. He only hoped he could convince her to keep the details to herself.

"I need to talk to you and the girls. Can you get them for me?"

"Sure." Esme looked worried. The last time Carlisle sat the family down this way it was to tell them about the attacks on The World Trade Center.

A few moments later, Esme came back into the kitchen with a fully-dressed Rosalie and a freshly-showered Alice on her heels. Both girls looked a little bored as they took their places at the table, waiting for their mother to make coffee and then take her own seat.

"I have something sensitive I need to talk to you all about before you leave for the day."

"Is this going to take long?" Rosalie asked. She was the eldest of the Cullen girls and at sixteen she was your typical teenager, desperate to get out of the house and to meet her boyfriend, Michael, for their date.

"It will take as long as necessary, Rosalie. This is very important." Carlisle's tone left no room for arguments.

After taking a deep breath, he addressed his family. "Edward called me at work in the early hours of the morning." At Esme's gasp, he hurried to assure his wife Edward was safe and healthy. "He has been out this weekend with his flatmates to celebrate Halloween."

"We know this already, can I go now?" Rosalie stood up and moved to the kitchen door before her father's stern voice stopped her progression.

"Sit down now, young lady, or I will ground you for a month." Rosalie gaped a little at her father's tone but took her place back at the table. Her parents very rarely grounded her, or Alice, for anything.

"What you don't know is one of Edward's flatmates is Her Royal Highness, The Princess Isabella of Scotland."

"Yeah right," Alice snorted. It was the first time she had spoken all morning and her little outburst caught the rest of the family off guard. "You must be getting gullible in your old age, to have believed that, Dad." At thirteen, Alice was the youngest member of the Cullen family and she had just started what her mother liked to think of as her teenaged rebellion. She had cut off all of her long hair, died it jet black and painted over her beautiful, purple bedroom walls with harsh shades of black and red.

Fed up with all of the interruptions, Carlisle threw a copy of _The Daily Mirror_ on to the middle of the kitchen table, the picture of Princess Isabella, with her arms wrapped tightly around Edward's neck, stared up at the family.

Nobody said anything as they scanned the headline and accompanying article. For seven, incredibly long minutes, the house was eerily silent.

Esme was the first to break the silence with a little squeal Carlisle had never heard from her before in all of their twenty-three years together. "My baby is dating a Princess," was all she said in explanation.

"No, Sweetheart, he's not. They are just friends. That's why Edward called. He didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. I'm supposed to call him, now I have told you all everything, to talk about what is going to happen next."

The smile on Esme's face didn't move at all. So her son wasn't dating a Princess; he was still friends with one and she was incredibly proud of him. She knew what kind of reputation Edward had with the opposite sex, so to find someone as important as the Princess of Scotland could overlook all of that and see the goodness Esme saw deep inside of him, made her day.

"Call him now, darling. Who knows, Princess Isabella might be with him." Esme was almost bouncing with excitement. Alice and Rosalie shared a look that clearly said they thought their mother was crazy.

-x-

Edward was having the best dream.

_He was completely naked and stood in his room at the flat. His cock was engulfed with the wettest, warmest heat he had ever felt and his hands were tangled through thick and luscious dark hair. She had yet to look up at him. All he could see were her feminine curves, wrapped in black satin, and her dark hair. _

_That didn't stop him from enjoying the best damn blowjob of his life. _

"_Fuck!" _

_As his eyes rolled back into his head he felt his orgasm building, starting in the tips of his toes and rushing through his body until every nerve was on fire. She scraped her teeth gently over the sensitive underside of his shaft and he was done for. He came, erupting violently into her mouth and spilling over her chin. _

_She pulled back and was slowly raising her head, about to look at him for the first time since she had wrapped her lips around him, when a loud and obnoxious ringing broke the atmosphere. _

Edward startled, sitting up in bed and looking round frantically, trying to find the source of the noise. He spotted his mobile, vibrating across the bedside table on the opposite side to the one he had been laying on. With a groan of frustration, Edward scooted across the bed and then let out another groan, this time of disgust. He had put his hand into something sticky. A quick look down confirmed his thoughts. He'd had a fucking wet dream. Edward hadn't had one of those since he discovered tits at the age of fourteen.

Wiping his hand across the bed sheets he leaned across to grab his phone and answer it.

"Yeah?"

"Edward? Did we wake you?" At the sound of his father's voice memories from the previous night came rushing back to Edward. The club, the dance, the photographers, the kebab and lots of questions.

"Yeah, sorry. Bella and I were up late talking. What's up?" Edward grabbed a bottle of water from his bag and downed half of it, hoping to soothe his dry throat, before cleaning up.

"We wanted to talk to you about your friendship with Isabella and these pictures." Edward groaned. _We _was his father's code for _your mother_. Before he could respond there was a small knock on the door and Edward asked his father to hold, while he pulled on some pyjama pants, before answering it. He always preferred to sleep naked.

The sight that greeted him was one of the best on the face of this planet, as far as he was concerned. Isabella was stood off to the side, a brown McDonalds bag clutched in one hand and two steaming paper cups in the other. She was fresh faced, her hair still slightly damp from either her shower that morning or the weather outside, Edward hadn't pulled back his curtains yet so he was unsure. She wore a soft grey, woollen dress paired with long black boots.

She was beautiful.

"I thought you could use some breakfast," she offered as an explanation. Edward stepped aside to allow her to enter.

"You're amazing, has anyone ever told you that?" he joked, following her to the bed where she sat out the food.

"Plenty of people but they are paid to kiss my ass." He laughed at her bluntness before his father drew his attention back to the phone in his hand. He had completely forgot about the call when Isabella showed up outside his room.

"Sorry Dad, I got distracted."

"I'll say." Carlisle laughed down the phone and Edward felt himself blushing slightly. He turned away from Isabella to try and hide it. "I take it she is there with you now."

"Yes, Bella brought me breakfast." Isabella flashed Edward a heart-warming smile at the nickname _Bella_ and then continued digging through the bag until she found the stash of hash browns at the bottom of it. Those were the only real reason she ever ate McDonalds breakfast meals.

"Bella huh? Would you put the phone on speaker for us Son? We have some things to discuss after last night." Edward didn't argue. He knew there would be things they would need to talk about after his pictures with Isabella were released nationwide.

Edward took a large bite from his muffin before he turned his attention back to the phone call. "What did you want to discuss, Dad?"

"We need to know what you want us to say to everyone. Your sisters are going to be asked questions at school, friends and neighbours will recognise you in those pictures and it won't take long for that information to spread, Edward." Carlisle's voice was loud and clear in the room and suddenly both Edward and Isabella lost their appetites.

"I am so sorry, Dr Cullen. I should have thought more about your privacy before agreeing to go out last night." Isabella looked devastated when she realised how tough life was about to become for Edward's family. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but something kept him in place on the opposite side of the bed.

"It's no worries, Your Highness. We wanted to know how much you wanted us to say, if anything." Carlisle was polite and composed as he spoke to Isabella. The complete opposite of his wife, who was bouncing in her seat next to him.

"Isabella, please. It's just Isabella. I would prefer if you didn't tell them which dorm I am in at St. Andrews. Other than that I don't really mind what you say. I can give you the number for the people who handle all of my PR if that would help. They could maybe talk you through what to say and what to keep quiet." Isabella's voice was quiet, almost like she was scared Carlisle would snap at her.

"I would appreciate that, You-Isabella, sorry."

"You're welcome, Dr Cullen. I will have Edward pass it along. Now, if you will both excuse me, I should call my father and see what kind of statement he wants to make to the media." Isabella's smile was forced. Even Edward could see that. He rose from the bed fully intending to show Isabella out but she had left, the door clicking closed softly behind her, before he had fully risen from the bed. He dropped back down with a heavy sigh.

"Everything okay, Son?" Carlisle's concerned tone made Edward smile. He had gotten lucky in the parental stakes as far as he was concerned. His mum and dad were both easy going people who cared for their children without smothering them. Edward always thought of his father as one of the people he trusted most in life.

"She's shutting herself off, Dad. I can feel it. Last night, when all of this was happening, she kept telling me she wasn't a good friend for me and I would be better off without her in my life. Thing is, I'm struggling to imagine my life without her in it. She's rapidly becoming one of my best friends. What do I do?" Edward scrubbed his hand across his face as though he could scrub away his mounting frustration.

"Just be there for her, Son. I doubt Isabella has many people in her life, outside of her family, who she has become close to. When she realises all of this media drama isn't going to scare you away, the way it would some, she will let you back in again. If you want her as your friend, fight to keep her that way."

Edward sat for a moment thinking about his father's words. He was right, Isabella never mentioned anyone outside of her family she was close to before, except Angela and Kate. The media attention wouldn't bother him or his family. As much as they valued their privacy, he knew the press would give up eventually when they realised there was no story to be found. He could wait this storm out and show Isabella he would be there for her through it all.

"Thanks, Dad. I'm going to go and jump in the shower. I'll call you guys later in the week."

"Take care, Edward and send our best wishes to Isabella." Carlisle hung up the phone as soon as Edward assured him he would. Unlike his wife, Carlisle actually ended a call when he said he would, instead of dragging it on for a further half hour.

-x-

Twenty minutes later Edward was showered, dressed and stood outside of Isabella's door, national papers tucked under one arm and coffees in the other, trying to build up the confidence to knock on it.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. **

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	9. Chapter 8

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**A shout out to Pyejammies for being the 500th review for this story. And thank you to all of the new followers, there are now over 1000 of you. **

**I would also like to thank the person, or people, who nominated the story for Favourite Drop Everything Fic at the TwiFic Fandom Awards. I will pop up a link on my profile if you would like to vote. There are so many great stories up for awards. **

**Well it's 03:32 here but it's still Monday somewhere, right?**

* * *

Isabella needed to escape. She had never felt more weighed down than she did right then, sat in Edward's room, listening to him discuss with his father what they were going to do about the media frenzy that was sure to follow their evening out.

Instead of heading back to her room to call her father, like she had told Edward, Isabella headed straight for the elevators, intending to walk off some of her frustration. She had been stupid to think she could ever enjoy a normal friendship with Edward. The papers were already accusing him of leading her astray. He wanted to be a surgeon, he didn't need this kind of publicity following him around for the rest of his life. What hospital was going to hire the guy accused of turning the nation's next queen into a party girl?

The elevator doors were just about to close when a big, beefy hand shot out to stop them. Emmett strode into the car, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He stood beside Isabella, not even looking her way, as it began to move. Just before it came to the third floor, he reached out to hit the emergency stop button and it jolted to rest.

"What the hell, Em?" Isabella turned to her guard, her perfected bitch-brow in place.

"Don't give me that look, Isabella. What the hell are you thinking, leaving the hotel alone? Do you remember any of what happened last night? There are reporters all over the city. Your father would have my head if anything happened to you." Isabella's face fell and she sagged back into the wall behind her letting out a groan of frustration.

"Talk to me, Izzy. What's got you so wound up? You were fine when I left you with breakfast this morning."

Isabella relayed the conversation with Dr Cullen back to Emmett, wringing her hands the entire time. Emmett had spent enough time around the young princess to know what had her wound so tight.

"So, you think because of all of the media intrusion, Edward and his family are about to experience, it would be best for you and he not to be friends?" Emmett was giving Isabella a strange look, one she had never seen on him before. He wasn't normally so serious unless her safety was in danger.

"Of course it would be. Have you seen what the tabloids are saying about him? If I don't leave him alone, he's going to ask me to anyway."

"Izzy." Emmett took a deep breath to think through what he was about to say. While he considered her a close friend, Isabella was also his boss and she could have his contract terminated if he upset her too much. "I mean this with the highest of respect, but you're an idiot." Isabella gasped, her face hardening immediately.

Emmett held out a hand, he could already sense the rant building inside of her. "Wait, and let me explain before you have me fired." She nodded stiffly and Emmett relaxed minutely. "Do you not see how that boy looks at you? He's crazy about you." Isabella scoffed but Emmett ignored her. "He might not be ready to admit that yet but he cares for you. I doubt a bunch of men with cameras are going to be enough to scare him off. And if they are, well you're better off without him in your life." Isabella's features softened with every word Emmett spoke. He could tell he was getting through to her. "Just give him a chance. Don't push away someone who could be a great friend to you because you are scared of them running. Trust me, you'll thank me for it eventually."

Isabella took a few minutes to think about what Emmett had said before she curled her arms around him, hugging him tight. "Thanks Em, you're a good friend."

"So is Edward," he laughed. "Now go back up to your room, I'm sure he will come looking for you soon."

Isabella laughed along with him and reached out to restart the elevator, punching the button for her floor while she was at it. She stood hidden behind Emmett, as people got on and off, before it finally reached her floor. When she stepped out into the hall she could already see Edward outside her door, raising his hand to knock.

"Go get him, Tiger." Were Emmett's parting words before he stepped out of sight, slipping back into the role of guard. Isabella snorted at her friend and then called out to Edward, just before he brought his hand down on her door.

-x-

Forty minutes later, Edward and Isabella were taking a seat at a restaurant in the city. They had debated staying in and sending Jasper out for food but Edward insisted that he didn't care about being photographed with her. He even joked if his family was about to be stalked by the press, they should at least get their money's worth from him, because his parents and sisters led incredibly boring lives. While Isabella worried Edward had no idea what he was about to put his family through, she appreciated his attempt at humour.

"So, do you have any plans for Christmas?" Edward asked as soon as the waitress left to fetch their drinks. Luckily, she didn't seem to recognise Isabella. She was far too busy drooling over the guy Isabella was sat with.

"My family and I spend Christmas at Sandringham House every year. I'll probably spend a few days in Spain with my grandfather but other than that, my only plan is to cram for these exams in January. You?"

Edward barely heard the end of Isabella's plans. After hearing the word 'Sandringham' his mind began racing. Isabella would be less than twenty miles away from him for the holidays. He could drive up to see her and be back home again before anyone would really have the time to miss him.

"Hello? Earth to Edward?" Isabella snapped her fingers in front of Edward's face trying to bring him back to the conversation. He had zoned out for so long the waitress had returned to take their order.

"Yes?…Sorry Bella, I was in my own world there," Edward's eyes flicked from the princess in front of him to the waitress standing a little too close for comfort. "Sorry," he apologised again, offering her a forced smile. He pulled the menu towards himself and ordered the first burger he saw. As soon as he had finished ordering, his gaze moved back to Isabella, and the waitress huffed a little before heading to the kitchen.

"Do you get to spend any time away from your family over the holidays?" Edward took a sip of his drink, trying to stay cool and calm as he waited for Isabella's answer. He was incredibly excited about the idea of spending time with her back home.

"I can, I never have. It's nice having the entire family together where we can all catch up in private, but my father would never force me to stay if there was something I really wanted to do. As long as I complete the duties I have already committed myself to, he's happy."

"Duties?" Edward asked, a little confused. He couldn't imagine Isabella's father would make her cook and clean before she was allowed out.

"I have a few charity galas I am hosting or attending in the county, most for Cancer Research and support. It's why I'm doing this degree." Edward's eyes shot up to Isabella's at that statement. He had never really thought about why Isabella was studying Management Science before. "I want to be able to do something good with the power and position I hold. I've backed some charities, financially, since my mother passed and when I finish my degree I want to become more involved in the day to day running of them. I want to be _really _involved and not just thought of as a wealthy patron who's trying to get a tax break."

Edward was stunned. He could see it now; Isabella managing accounts, hosting fundraisers, donating time, money and resources to help families that had been through the same things they had. He could see the passion and determination in her eyes. She may have been born to be a queen but that wasn't where her legacy ended; she would be known for her contribution to Cancer Research and awareness.

"Wow, that's amazing, Bella. You'll be a great ambassador for the charities you support." She blushed again at Edward's compliment and hurried to hide it behind her glass as she took a sip from her iced water.

"You know, my parents live in Kings Lynn. It's not far from Sandringham. We could hang out over the holidays if you ever wanted some time away. Maybe go and see a movie together or something?" Edward was watching Isabella closely throughout his offer. For some reason, the thought of her rejecting his idea made his stomach clench painfully.

"Kings Lynn? Your father's a surgeon, right?" At Edward's nod, Isabella continued. "They have a children's party every year for those with terminal illnesses?" Once again, Edward nodded, this time a little confused about where she was going. "The hospital asked my father to attend, I'll be there with him."

The smile on Edward's face was luminous. He would get to see Isabella even if they couldn't find the time to hang out alone together.

"Really? I was going to blow it off this year because of revision but I guess I can take a day off to dance with a beautiful princess."

The waitress chose that moment to return with their meals and they lapsed into an easy silence while they ate, talking occasionally about the food or their courses. Nothing more was said about the party although Edward realised he would probably need to invest in some new clothes if he was going to be seen out and about with a future queen.

-x-

While Edward and Isabella avoided the press going into the restaurant, they weren't as lucky on the way out. A group had gathered just outside the front doors and this time, Emmett and Jasper were needed. They had seen the crowd forming outside and Jasper had rung ahead for a car to take the two back to the hotel to collect their bags, before driving them back to campus. With the media storm that had been created, there was no way Isabella would be able to get away with taking the train back.

Edward was slightly horrified when he left the restaurant with Isabella close to his side, Emmett in front of them and Jasper behind them. He had heard the paparazzi could be crazy, but he had never been in the middle of it before. People were pushing and shoving from all directions, and when he pulled Isabella closer, to keep her safe, that only seemed to make things worse.

There were camera flashes from every direction, causing bright spots in his vision that made it hard for him to see where he was going. To make matters worse, they were yelling question after question at Isabella.

"_Princess, who's your friend?" _

"_Princess, how long have you been dating?" _

"_Isabella, have you been drinking?" _

"_What does the King think of him?" _

Through it all Isabella kept her head down and walked as fast as she could. Edward followed her lead, trying hard not to listen to the vile things that were being yelled about Isabella to try and get a rise out of her. It was just as Emmett went to open the car door that everything changed.

"_Hey, Edward? Are you planning to fuck and chuck the princess just like you have all those other women?" _

Edward snapped his head round in the direction the question had come from. He could tell which cocky motherfucker had yelled it from the shit-eating grin on his face.

Isabella tried, in vain, to push Edward towards the now open car door but he wouldn't budge. His muscles were locked in place as he stared down the journalist who obviously knew more about him than he would have liked.

The cocky motherfucker clearly didn't know when to quit.

"_Isabella, how does your daddy feel knowing he has a little slut for a daughter? I'm not sure the people of Great Britain would want you as their queen." _

Edward's expression was murderous. They could say what they wanted about him, he knew his own reputation, but dragging Isabella into it was low.

The remaining paparazzi fell silent, all seeming to realise what was about to happen.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing.**

**If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to answer your questions or reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you.**

**The teaser for chapter 9 will be with FicTease tomorrow.**

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**Have a great week.**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**A shout out to RandomFan11 for being the 600th review for this story. The response to the last chapter blew me away! Thank you all so much for that. **

**I would also like to remind you that voting for the TwiFic Fandom Awards is still open and closes in 5 days. There is a link on my profile if you would like to vote. There are so many great stories up for awards, including this one :-D **

**I'm making a habit of this. 03:50am here in the UK but I didn't want to leave you all hanging.**

* * *

"_What the fuck did you just say?" _

Sensing he was on to a winning story, the journalist continued to push. "I said, I don't think the people of Great Britain would be too happy to know their future Queen is a little slut."

Edward took a menacing step forward, and Isabella began to panic. Jasper was busy trying to get her into the car and she couldn't see Emmett at all.

"Edward, please, he's not worth it. Just get in the car," she begged.

Edward didn't hear a word of what Isabella was saying. As soon as the cocky motherfucker's words sunk in, a red haze descended. It was like tunnel vision, he couldn't focus on anyone or anything else but the man in front of him.

For every step Edward took forward, the crowd around them seemed to take another back. They could sense the anger and tension rolling off this 'Edward' guy and as much as they wanted the pictures from this fallout, they didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.

When Edward finally made it to the cocky motherfucker, a look of dread washed over the photographer's face. From a distance, Edward looked harmless, but up close, the photographer could see Edward was both taller and bigger built than he was. He gulped and took a small step back. Edward matched it.

"Hey, man, look. I was only after a story. I didn't mean to offend your girlfriend." He was backpedalling but Edward wasn't buying it. His last step forward put him nose to nose with the journalist, who looked like he was about to shit his pants. Edward grabbed a handful of the asshole's shirt and pulled him closer.

"If you didn't mean to offend her you would have kept your ugly mouth shut." Edward's voice was dangerously calm and Isabella knew she needed to do something to keep this from escalating. Just as she was about to shake off Jasper's restraining hand, she noticed Emmett silently moving his way through the crowd to where the two men were facing off.

The journalist clearly hadn't seen Emmett's approach, as his expression suddenly shifted, and he leaned in, ready to deliver his killer blow. "Got you to react, though. How do you think this is going to look on the six o' clock news? I'll be surprised if King Charles doesn't have a restraining order slapped on you when he finds out you attacked an innocent journalist, unprovoked."

Edward reeled back, stunned. He hadn't expected this. He thought the cocky motherfucker was only trying to get a story, he didn't think he was being set up. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. All he could focus on were the words of the journalist, playing on a loop in his mind.

_I'll be surprised if King Charles doesn't have a restraining order slapped on you. _

The motherfucker was right. King Charles wouldn't want someone like _Edward_ around his daughter, a _princess._ As soon as he heard about this, she would be kept as far away from him as possible.

He would never get to see Isabella again.

Isabella watched in horror as Edward released the journalist, his face turning a deathly shade of white. He looked like he had just been told someone he loved had died.

"Edward?" she called, trying to get his attention.

But he didn't move.

Didn't even look at her.

He couldn't.

As Edward took a shaky step back, Emmett took his position in front of the now smug looking journalist.

"I don't know what you're smiling about." Emmett kept his voice just the other side of acceptable, so all of the assembled journalists could hear what he was about to say. "You just slandered the future queen of this country, in front of all these witnesses." He swept his hand around the group of gathered photographers, but never took his eyes from the one in front of him. "If I remember rightly, slandering an heir of our king is treason, which carries a sentence of life in prison. Even if it is only to get a story."

Emmett turned to Edward and gave him a gentle nudge in the direction of Isabella and their waiting car. "You'll be hearing from the Palace lawyers within the hour," Emmett called out, before closing the door behind Edward and sliding into the front of the car.

-x-

The ride back to the hotel was tense. Nobody said anything and Edward was still trying to gather his thoughts. As the car pulled up outside of the Travelodge, Edward helped Isabella out and Emmett and Jasper followed the two of them into the elevator.

When it arrived at Isabella's floor, she turned to Edward, taking his hands into her own. "I'll meet you at your room as soon as I finish packing, okay?"

"Of course. I'll see you in a few minutes, Bella." Edward didn't want to let go of her. This might be his last chance to see her and he wanted to make the most of that.

Jasper cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded in the direction of a group of teenagers headed their way. Edward quickly dropped Isabella's hands and shuffled further back into the car. She took the hint and left, Jasper trailing after her.

It took Edward a few minutes to realise Emmett had stayed behind with him. Even in the tiny space of the elevator, he blended in so well with the crowd.

Emmett followed Edward back to his room and stood silently, watching as Edward picked up his shit and began angrily throwing it into his bag. He was on edge and Emmett's silence wasn't making things any easier.

"What? What do you want, Emmett?"

"Hey, no need to snap at me. I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to talk, that's all. I was going to wait until you calmed down first though." Emmett sat down on the edge of Edward's bed and after a few minutes of strained silence, Edward flopped down beside him.

"I know, okay. I fucked up. I shouldn't have said anything. I just lost it. How _dare_ he say that stuff about Bella? And now her father's never going to let me see her again. What the fuck have I done?" Edward was getting himself worked up again so Emmett gave him a few moments to calm himself down before responding.

"What you did," Emmett paused, thinking of how to word what he was about to say. "What you did, defending Isabella, was incredibly sweet, Edward. Not many guys would have done the same thing in your position. I can guarantee you, Charles will say the same thing when I report back to him after we finish here. He's not going to stop you seeing his daughter because you tried to defend her honour. However, you have to learn to let go. If you let every little thing the press says get to you, you're going to end up in jail. Then you really won't be able to see your princess."

Edward nodded his head in agreement. He had just finished convincing Isabella he could handle this kind of attention and then he went and ruined it all with one outburst.

"Do you think she's mad at me?" Edward asked quietly.

"Isabella, mad at you? No way. More like mad for you. They never admit it but girls love that kind of thing. Every woman likes to imagine they are a princess and their guy is a knight in shining armour. In her case, Isabella is a princess, she just needs her knight in shining armour, which would be where you come in."

Edward cast a sceptical look at Emmett. "How the hell did you become such an expert on women?"

Emmett patted Edward's knee and then rose to continue packing his bags. He knew Isabella well enough to know she would be waiting for the two of them any moment now. She would have kept everything packed and ready to go at a moment's notice.

"I think four years of marriage more than qualifies me to give you young'uns a little bit of advice." Emmett winked at Edward and then threw a shirt at him from the bathroom floor.

-x-

When Isabella knocked on the door four minutes later, Edward almost tripped over his feet in his haste to get it open. To the sound of boisterous laughter, he used his right hand to unlock the door while he sent Emmett some choice hand gestures with his left. Of course, that only made the big buffoon laugh harder.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Isabella looked so happy to see her friend and most-trusted guard were getting along well.

"Just arranging a guy's night in." Emmett squeezed past the two of them, giving Isabella and Edward some time alone. She raised an inquisitive brow at Edward but instead of answering, he pulled her into the room and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"I am so sorry for what I did. You know, with the photographers, and everything," he whispered, his face buried in her hair.

"It's alright. I know how overwhelming that can be." Isabella pulled away from Edward to look him over. "Are you okay?"

"If you mean, am I going to run? The answer is no. As much as I hated what that photographer was saying about you, it hasn't put me off being your friend. If anything, it's just made me more determined to be a permanent fixture in your life. You're stuck with me now, Princess."

Isabella's stomach fluttered a little at the words 'permanent fixture' but she pushed those thoughts aside, not yet ready to admit what her heart was trying to tell her. Instead she opted to cover her feelings with humour. "Damn, I was planning to lose you on the way back to campus." She gently nudged his shoulder with her own and Edward laughed, before turning around to grab his bag.

"You couldn't lose me, even if you tried."

-x-

This time, getting out of the Travelodge was much more difficult than it had been any of the other times Isabella and Edward left the hotel. The press were camped out as close to the building as they could get, without breaking any laws. Men with cameras, camcorders, microphones and lights were everywhere. Edward had never seen anything like it before and he was glad Garrett had left, with Angela and Kate, a few hours ago. They didn't need to be put through that kind of experience, if they could help it.

Emmett gave clear instructions for Isabella and Edward to stay as close together as possible. He also reminded Edward he should keep his head down and ignore anything that was said, before leading the way out of the doors, to the waiting car, with Jasper bringing up the rear.

As soon as the door opened, Edward's senses were thrown into overdrive. People in all directions were yelling questions at both him and Isabella. Cameras were flashing constantly, making it hard for Edward to see where he was going. He tried to focus on Emmett's shoes, following them as he led the way to the car, but blocking out the questions and accusations was becoming harder and harder by the second. His anger was growing as wildly inappropriate and disrespectful comments were hurled in Isabella's direction. All Edward could think about was making it stop.

Isabella could tell Edward was becoming agitated again and did the only thing she could to try and calm him down - she slipped her arm around his waist, tucking herself into his left side. Of course, with her actions, the crowd grew louder and the cameras flashed more often in their attempts to capture that perfect picture for their headlines. Yet, Edward didn't care at all. As soon as her warm hand made contact with his body, all of Edward's anger and tension melted away until the only thing he could focus on was the feeling of Isabella's small body tucked against his own. He squeezed her a little tighter, knowing she had done this to calm him down, before continuing to the car, without another incident.

-x-

The journey back to campus was filled with plans for their time left at university and ideas of what Edward and Isabella wanted to do for their holidays. They made no mention at all of the media circus they found leaving the hotel, or what they expected to find when they got back to campus.

Isabella's father, and his chief of security, had made arrangements when she first moved to St Andrews about her protection from media intrusion. While the town and university had so far managed to keep them off campus, Isabella wasn't sure that would last now she had been pictured with Edward. She knew she needed to have a conversation with him about what was to come, but she wasn't ready to break the light atmosphere in the car, just yet.

Isabella was saved that task when Jasper broke through the comfortable silence that settled around everyone. "Mr Cullen, we need to talk about what happens when you arrive back on campus."

Edward had never heard Jasper speak before, so the harsh tone to his voice made him jump a little. "What do we need to talk about?" Edward wasn't sure he liked Jasper's tone.

"People are going to try and get close to you, students and paparazzi alike, because they know you are close to the princess. You need to be more selective about the company you keep. And we all know how much company you like to keep."

Edward's mouth dropped open in surprise but Isabella's snapped into action.

"Jasper, that was unprofessional. I will talk to Edward when we get back to campus but for now, consider yourself off duty."

Jasper sneered a little in Edward's direction before turning around in his seat to face out of the front window. Nobody else said anything for the rest of the car journey, leaving a heavy silence in the air.

-x-

Edward and Isabella managed to make it back to their flat with very little difficulty. While there had been paparazzi stationed at all of the main entrances onto campus, the dark tint of the back windows made it impossible for any of them to see inside the car. And Emmett and Jasper were not newsworthy as far as the media were concerned.

Inside their flat, Angela, Kate and Garrett were waiting for their friends to return home. When they had gotten back, the three of them sat down to see what the papers were saying about Isabella and Edward. They had stumbled over the latest "breaking news" immediately.

"Hey. How was the drive back?" Angela was trying to be cheery but both Edward and Isabella could see straight through her.

"Tense. What's going on?" Edward took Isabella's bags to her room, before leaving his own on his bed for unpacking, and made his way back out to the group.

Angela and Kate shared a look. Neither of them really wanted to be the one to break this news to their friend. Garrett huffed, realising he would have to be the one to do it.

Before he could draw a breath to begin, Isabella's phone rang loudly, breaking through the tense silence that had fallen in the lounge. She pulled it out with the intention of silencing the call but thought twice when she saw her father's name on the screen.

"Sorry, I should take this," she told her friends, before accepting the call.

Charles didn't give her a chance to greet him. "Please tell me you're not dating a guy who's already in a relationship."

"What? Daddy, no. Where are you getting this?" Edward shot a look at Isabella that clearly asked what was going on. She shook her head and help up a finger. The universal sign for "wait a minute."

"Some girl from your university has sold her story to The Sun. She claims she's been in a relationship with Edward, for over a year, before you came along and stole her boyfriend. She says she knew he used to play around behind her back, but he always came back to her, before he met you."

Charles didn't want to believe what had been written about his daughter. She was not that kind of girl, he was sure of it. But he had to ask. If Isabella had fallen for a guy that had been involved with someone else, before she met him, he would need his team on damage control as soon as possible. He knew Isabella was popular with the British public, just as her mother had been. She would make a great queen for the country, after he passed, because of how approachable she was. He didn't want that to change for her. Life in the royal family could be lonely. Charles knew that better than anyone else. The public found him difficult to approach after the death of his wife. He closed himself off and they could pick up on it. Since then he had found public engagements less enjoyable than he used to. He didn't want to see that happen to his daughter, especially if she had done nothing wrong. She had so much to give back and she loved helping others less fortunate than herself.

"What girl, Daddy?" Everyone's attention snapped to Isabella.

Angela flinched a little. As much as she didn't want to be the one to break this news to her friend, she didn't expect the King to be doing it either. Instead, she opened up her laptop and woke the screen, turning it around to face both Edward and Isabella.

It was already on The Sun's website, a picture of Edward and Isabella leaving the Travelodge in Dundee, with their arms wrapped around each other, looking up at them. Underneath was the headline that made Edward cringe.

**THE PRINCESS AND THE PLAYBOY.**

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**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing.**

**If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to answer your questions or reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you. And special thanks to Ridiey2009, Lavy and Zina588 for their reviews. **

**Chapter 10 is going to be a little late. Those of you who reviewed or follow me on Twitter know I have both a paper due in and an exam to sit on Friday so I won't have time to edit it and send it to beta. I am sorry for that, but I will get it up as soon as I can. Wish me luck, Environmental law is nowhere near as exciting as the other parts of my course! **

**Have a great week. **


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.**

**This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.**

**And thank you to all of you guys for your best wishes on the exams and being patient waiting for this chapter. The wait was worth it as I scored 100% on the assignment and 96% on the exam! **

**As you waited so long, I am posting this before I send out review replies so those of you who submitted one for the last chapter will get 2 bonus teasers for the next chapter as a thanks. **

**Finally, a huge shout-out to the sweet Twilly who was reviewer number 700 and to the guys and girls on Twitter, who lifted my spirits after the last update.**

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**THE PRINCESS AND THE PLAYBOY **

**A Sun exclusive. **

**Article Written by George Hudson.**

_Our nation's beloved Princess Isabella of Scotland has made headlines this weekend after being pictured in intimate positions with a male friend from university. Today, _The Sun_ can exclusively reveal her mystery man as fellow student, and the Princess' roommate, Edward Cullen. Talking exclusively, Edward's girlfriend, Tanya Denali, tells us how he met the princess and what she thinks of the pictures that have been circulating the internet since Friday evening. _

_Tanya was happy to reveal Edward is a second year medical student and she met him just before the Christmas holidays last year, when they immediately clicked. "He was just so interested in everything I had to say. It was a natural connection, both physically and emotionally." _

_Tanya isn't the only girl to have come forward with her story about time spent with the Princess' new beau and when asked about those comments, she was quick to answer. "Edward has wandering eyes and straying hands. I know he has slept with other women while he has been seeing me and I'm okay with that. He always comes back, because deep down, he knows those other girls cannot give him what he needs. I can. When he finishes this phase, we were going to settle down and build a life together." _

_We went on to ask the nineteen-year-old Film Studies student what makes the Princess so different. "Ever since she arrived, she's had her sights set on Edward. She just would not take no for an answer, even when he told her he was seeing someone else. She's the reason he doesn't answer my calls or texts anymore. She's stolen him from me with her persistence and promise of a better life." _

_Both the Palace and the Cullen family are yet to release any statement about these accusations. _

"Of course my family haven't said anything, that's all bullshit," Edward exploded. As Isabella read the article aloud, he slowly turned redder and redder. Garrett was a little worried about his health. Surely it wasn't normal for a person to be _that_ flushed in the face.

Charles obviously heard Edward's outburst from the other end of the line. "If that is true, Isabella, then we need to do something about this Tanya girl. She has publically slandered you. She could turn the entire country against you."

"I know, Daddy. I just don't want to cause any more trouble for Edward and his family." Poor Isabella looked heart broken. Edward stood up from his place on the couch and pulled her into his side.

"It's okay, Bella. My family know this is all lies. I'm more worried about you." Isabella allowed Edward to comfort her a little longer before she turned her attention back to her father.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked, a little resigned. Charles knew Isabella hated to be the cause of conflict.

"Nothing for now, sweetheart. Just let Edward take care of you and I will do all the rest."

-x-

While Isabella finished speaking with her father, privately, Edward made the awkward, but necessary call to his family. This time, he wouldn't get away with calling his father's office phone and his bad luck didn't end there as Esme pounced on her husband's mobile the second it illuminated with Edward's name.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, you have a lot of explaining to do. _Cheating_? With a _princess_? I thought I taught you better. "

"Mum, please. I was not seeing Tanya. I would never cheat, you know that." Edward sighed. The weekend had started so well and now it was ending on a truly low note. "Look, can you put Dad on? I need to talk to him about some things." Edward was lying. He just didn't want to deal with his mother's tone right then.

"You don't get out of this that easily," Esme half-yelled down the phone. "If I find out you have been using a _princess_ I will disown you, Edward. I will."

Edward heard some scuffling in the background before his father's voice cut in. "Sorry about that, Son. You know your mother and her fascination with the royal family. She'll calm down soon enough." Edward did know about his mother's fascination with the royal family. She had so many commemorative mugs with their faces on, he stopped taking notice after the one celebrating Isabella's birth. That was the one she tended to hide money in, so he made sure to always remember where it was when he was a child.

"I know. Hopefully she won't be too embarrassing when she meets Bella." He sat down heavily on his bed and rubbed his eyes, a mannerism he had picked up from his father.

"Does this mean we will be meeting her sometime soon?" Carlisle sounded incredibly excited for someone who once claimed he wasn't interested in the lives of a family that weren't his own.

"Um," Edward stalled. He wasn't sure if he should mention Isabella's presence at the children's party or not.

"You know, King Charles has been invited to the Roxburgh party in December. I wonder if he will attend," Carlisle mused. Edward decided to throw his father a bone. After all, Edward would need some help to keep his mother under control. He already had nightmares about her throwing herself into the arms of King Charles.

"He will, actually. Bella's coming with him."

"Huh." Carlisle seemed stunned into silence, once again. While logically he knew his son was friendly with a princess, the idea of being in her presence was something he couldn't quite wrap his mind around.

A gentle knock on Edward's door pulled him out of the conversation, as Isabella poked her head around the jam. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. I just finished talking to my dad, he's sending someone from the palace out to your parents, and here, to help with this media frenzy." She gave Edward a small smile and then closed the door behind herself.

"So, we should expect a visitor then?" Carlisle's voice made Edward jump. He was still staring at the door Isabella disappeared behind.

"Um, yeah. I guess," Edward muttered, distractedly.

"Have you asked her out yet?"

"What?" Edward's attention was suddenly focused on the small Nokia handset in his palm and the voice coming out of it.

Carlisle laughed before answering his son. "Come on, Edward. You're not _that_ dumb. I've seen the pictures of the two of you online. You're more than just friends. So I repeat, have you asked her out yet?"

Edward sighed. Truthfully, it was something he had been thinking about since Emmett mentioned it back at the Travelodge. "No, and I never will. Come on, Dad. She's a princess and I'm no one. Why would Bella ever want to date me?"

Carlisle's heart broke a little for his only son. While he knew Edward was no saint, he also knew his son was in love, even if Edward didn't realise it, yet. Loving Isabella was not going to be easy on Edward, but from the pictures, Carlisle could tell Isabella would make it easier. The look on her face, as she gazed up at Edward while they were dancing, had brought a tear to his eye. He was glad his son had finally found the right girl for him.

"Edward, you have plenty to offer and Isabella obviously thinks so, or she wouldn't be your friend. Take a risk, what harm could it do?"

"Um, she could run away and I would never see her again." Edward sounded so heartbroken at even the thought of it.

"Isn't it better to take that risk? Then you won't be left watching other guys step up where you couldn't.

Edward flopped back on the bed. "Maybe."

-x-

Isabella slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning her way through dreams she couldn't remember every time they woke her. At five am, she gave up trying to sleep and crept out of her room, in an effort to try and not wake the rest of the flat. She turned from her door, intending to head into the kitchen, but screamed, her hand flying to cover her mouth, when she saw a silhouette of someone sat on the sofa.

"Bella, it's me. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Isabella's heart calmed at the gentle sound of Edward's voice.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" she asked, as she made her way to the kettle.

"Apparently not," Edward chuckled. "Did you know, there is absolutely nothing on at this time of the morning? Literally. Half the channels are just Ceefax and Teletext pages!"

Isabella made them both a mug of tea and went to join Edward on the sofa.

"I can't say I have ever really been up this early in the morning with nothing to do before." She blew gently over the top of her tea before taking a small sip. Edward watched intently the way her mouth moved with her actions.

"So you have been up this early before?" he questioned.

"Sure. Usually when we have to travel somewhere for an early engagement but I am too busy getting ready, or reading over notes I have made for speeches, to watch TV." Edward hummed as he took this on board and left a comfortable silence to settle in the room.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" His father's words had been running through his head all evening, making sleep impossible for Edward. Yet, he still couldn't bring himself to ask the question he really wanted the answer to.

"Sure." Isabella placed her mug on the table and turned her body to face Edward's on the sofa, crossing her legs underneath herself.

"Is it lonely? You know, living that kind of life?" Edward wouldn't look at Isabella as he asked his question. He was too worried he would offend her.

"At times, yes. After my mother died I felt so alone. My father shut down. He just wasn't there at all. My brothers were too young to fully understand what happened but they had each other. I thought I had no one. Until Emmett found me wandering the grounds one afternoon. He sat with me and listened as I spoke about her. He held me when I cried and he was the one to help me start to heal again. He was only a trainee back then but he's been with me ever since. Mama and I used to have a movie night every Saturday when she didn't have engagements and I mentioned to him once how I missed that. He sent his girlfriend, now his wife, over one week and we picked the tradition back up. I miss sharing that with her. She's back in London taking care of her father. He has Alzheimer's."

Isabella lowered her head, her hair falling across her face. Edward reached forward to sweep it back over her shoulder before speaking. "We could make Saturday night movie night," he offered.

Isabella gave him a small smile but shook her head. "Thanks, but I know you guys like to go out on the weekends."

Edward cringed a little at the implications behind her words but didn't let it deter him. "Trust me, Bella. I would much rather be here with you than out, without you."

Isabella took a good look at Edward, almost as if she were checking to make sure he was being truthful. "Then, I would love to make Saturday night movie night."

-x-

Emmett was not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he let himself into Isabella's flat the next morning. It was six am so he was expecting everyone to still be in their rooms, fast asleep. Instead, what he found was Edward's long and lean frame, stretched awkwardly across the small sofa in the lounge, with Isabella's smaller one, half tucked into his side and half on top of Edward.

Emmett snorted out a laugh and then made his way into the kitchen to start some coffee. Those two were blind to the other's feelings and it was rather entertaining for him to watch them dancing around each other. He and Liam, another of Isabella's guards, had already placed bets on how long it would take Edward to ask her out. Emmett opted for Christmas time. He was a believer in Christmas Magic and if that didn't work, he had a feeling someone else would help them work it all out. He wasn't the only one to have picked up on their chemistry.

The clanging of mugs woke the pair on the sofa and they both sprung up in alarm, momentarily confused by their surroundings.

"Well, good morning sleepy-heads. I take it you had a good night." Emmett waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Isabella threw a cushion at him.

Edward's eyes moved comically between the sofa he had just been laying on, Isabella and Emmett. "I…I…" he stuttered before turning and heading for his room. Emmett laughed as he heard the sound of running water start and a door close.

"So, I guess he's not much of a morning person." Emmett handed Isabella a mug of coffee, made just how she loved it, before leaning back against the kitchen island.

"Who's not a morning person?" Garrett asked as he opened his bedroom door and headed straight for the coffee, absentmindedly scratching his stomach.

"Edward," Isabella answered, before turning her attention back to Emmett. "What are you doing letting yourself into the flat at six in the morning, anyway?" She raised a brow, but Emmett was nowhere near as intimidated by it as most men would be.

"I think the important question we should be discussing is what you two were doing asleep together on the sofa?" Garett snorted into his coffee, sending splashes of it all around the kitchen as he gasped for air.

"Sorry…I'm so sorry," he wheezed out as he grabbed a cloth to clean up.

"We fell asleep, watching TV. It's no big deal." The way Isabella tried to wave off the comment 'no big deal' left both Garrett and Emmett with no doubts it was in fact, a big deal. "Now, can we please talk about why you are here?"

"William is on his way from the palace." Isabella's eyes widened. She knew her father wanted to act quickly, after everything that happened over the weekend, but William was his chief of security. He never left Charles' side. "Charles wants this nipped in the bud before any lasting damage can be done. William is coming to discuss with all of you what needs to be done about security and the press." Emmett looked meaningfully at Garrett, implying this was as much about Isabella's friends as it was about her growing relationship with Edward. "He's bringing Maggie with him to coach you on what to say and how to act around reporters, how much information to give away to students and teachers. That sort of thing. Then they are going to Norfolk to do the same for Edward's family. Until everyone has been briefed, there will be no official statements released." Isabella nodded her head in understanding, but Garrett looked a little lost. She knew her father wouldn't want to say anything until all of the parties involved were comfortable with the statement.

By the time Edward left his room, Angela and Kate were both up and had been filled in on what was about to happen. Isabella left Emmett to fill him in on what was about to happen while she went to shower and dress.

Things had been a little awkward since they had woken up together that morning. Isabella was sure Edward felt something for her, the same something she felt every time she was around him, but he hadn't looked at her since he emerged from his room. Now she was confused and Isabella didn't like being confused.

_Damn Emmett and his talk of feelings. _

She showered quickly and was in the middle of dressing for the day when a loud scuffle caught Isabella's attention. She finished pulling on her dress before opening her door and looking out into the lounge. The flat was empty but she could hear yelling coming from just outside the hall.

As Isabella moved closer to the door, Emmett appeared by her side, a restraining hand on her wrist. When she was finally able to see into the hall she gasped in horror at the scene before her. Edward was on the floor, his hands curled protectively around his groin, a look of pure agony on his face. Angela was at his side, her hands flapping as if she was trying to offer him some kind of comfort, but didn't really know where to touch him. Garrett and Kate both appeared to be trying to smother their laughter.

A few feet away she saw the source of all the noise. Jasper had Tanya's small body locked into his own as he tried pulling her away from Edward. She was thrashing violently, pulling at Jasper's arms and kicking out with her legs.

"What the hell is going on?" Isabella asked, moving away from Emmett and over to where Edward was now curled on his side.

"_You_." Tanya's body suddenly went rigid, all of her attention focused on the princess. "This is all _your_ fault. I've been thrown off my course because of _you_. I could go to _jail_, because of _you_! _You bitch_." She lunged again, catching Jasper by surprise and wiggling her way out of his arms.

She was headed straight for Isabella.

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**A few small notes on this chapter. Roxburgh is a children's ward at the hospital in Kings Lynn where Edward's family live. I visited it quite frequently as a child and at the time, I thought it was the coolest place in town. I don't know if they hold annual Christmas parties but for the sake of this story, they do. **

**Ceefax and Teletext are information services we used to have here in the UK before we switched to digital TV. They would cycle through pages of the news every evening from about 1am until about 6am. My beta thought it may be best to remove them to avoid confusion but I had them in for a reason. The morning Princess Diana was killed, my mum and I found out watching those pages when we couldn't sleep.**

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**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. I love hearing everything you guys have to say. **

**If you are on twitter, feel free to come and say hi, I am kymbersmith90 there. **

**I want to warn you all that I am scheduled for minor surgery on 13****th**** of November. It should be straight forward so that I only spend a day in hospital, but just in case, if the next chapter is delayed, you know why. I'm going to aim to have it up this time next week. **

**Enjoy the rest of your days. **


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